SWKOTOR: Destiny's Pawn Book 1: Taris
by Allronix
Summary: Basted on the Bioware Game The Republic is in a losing war with Darth Malak and the apparantly unstoppable Sith Armada. Unknown to a Republic soldier and a mysterious woman, the keys to defeating it may lie with them.
1. Default Chapter

_Four thousand years before the rise of the Galactic Empire, the Republic verges on collapse. Weakened by a devastating war with the Mandalorians, the Republic suffers another blow when Revan and Malak, Jedi heroes of the Mandalorian War, fall to the Dark Side and return as conquerors at the head of an invincible Sith Armada. _

_While the Jedi were able to destroy Darth Revan, Malak continues his war of conquest, crushing all resistance. The Republic fleet is decimated, and the Jedi are scattered - fallen in battle or pledging their service to the new Sith Master. In the skies above the Outer Rim world of Taris, a Republic transport has been ambushed by the Sith. Overwhelmed, the Endar Spire will not hold out long against the attackers. _

_It is here, however, that the story only begins..._

**Part One **

**The Endar Spire**

"Move, move!" He herded the soldiers to their positions, tossing them blaster rifles or giving them a push on their backs to hurry them along. Lines of them passed by his eyes, a blur of red and yellow uniforms. The deck buckled beneath his feet and he struggled to keep his footing - only the long years to training and battle had given him those reflexes. The less-experienced crew settled for bracing themselves against walls or grabbing what they could to help them along.

The stench of fried electronics and blaster discharge was familiar - too familiar. Damn the Sith! Before they knew what hit them, the Spire's shield generators and guns were off-line. It was executed with such terrible grace that he knew right away who had orchestrated it. If could put his blaster to Saul's head right now...

He herded other survivors to the escape pods. Chances were those Sith fighters would use them for target practice, but he had to take the chance. No man left behind and every effort to save what could be saved...the unspoken honor code of a soldier. Too bad that honor was as much as lost cause as this ship.

"Commander Onasi! Commander!" A petty officer's shout cut through the noise and chaos. Carth snapped his head up to look over at him.

"Report!"

"Sith boarding parties on decks twelve, five, and three. They're heading for the bridge! Reports of blaster fire in crew quarters, too."

Damn! There wasn't time to do anything but retreat at this point. He waved the petty officer ahead. "All right, send the order to Bastila - tell that Jedi that she's getting into one of these pods and no arguments." He secured the terminal, turning around and giving it two quick shots from his blaster to destroy it. At least he could hope the Sith wouldn't get anything valuable from this raid aside from yet another Republic ship. Pushing his way in the opposite direction from the throng headed for the escape pods or the bridge, Carth ducked down a side corridor.

Things weren't looking good. Dead Sith leaned up against the walls. An equal -- if not greater -- number of Republic uniforms were among the bodies on deck. Two utility droids that had been trying to repair the damage in this corridor were useless wrecks, circuits ionized and parts scattered. The only light came from the emergency panels and small fires that the suppression systems were too damaged to put out.

He saw movement ahead and pulled up the blaster. Red light crossed with green meant a blaster fight. Carth dropped behind a cargo crate for cover before trying to see what was going on. One Sith was dead on the deck, the silver helmet shot through at close range. Two others were trying to hit a Republic soldier who dodged the blasts and countered. Dropping behind a bulkhead, the soldier pulled a frag grenade from his belt and threw it with one hand, jamming the hatch override with the other. The door dropped just as the blast and screams hit.

That's when the man turned around. Ensign Trask Ulgo was barely out of cadet stripes, but he'd already see too many battles. 'Commander? Thought you were headed for --'

Carth shook his head, cutting off Trask's question. "Trask, you're with me. We're going to make a quick sweep of the crew quarters and grab anyone who's still alive, got it?"

"Aye, sir."

Carth slammed the button to the main corridor and charged out with Trask at his heels. The grinding noise of sirens and the muffled sounds of explosions were making his insides ache. The halls were scarred with blaster scorching or vibroblade cuts. There were more corpses, more ruined droids, and no reason to stop.

Trask took point as Carth watched their backs. Screams from the fallen and the clash of combat added to the noise. The Sith were advancing. They worked their way through the quarters, finding only empty rooms or a soldier shot dead before he'd even had time to reach for his blaster. Carth was just about to give up and order Trask to turn around so they could reach the pods when he heard a shout.

"Found a survivor, sir! Says her name's Kairi. She's all right!"

He didn't recognize her. She was a dark haired and dark-eyed woman built like a bird, barely tall enough to come up to his shoulder. Carth knew all the soldiers on the Spire after these months. This woman must have been one of Bastila's assignments. Their Jedi "advisor" came aboard with quite the entourage - mostly other Jedi, though. She wasn't dressed in robes, though, and there wasn't a lightsaber on her belt.

"You one of the Jedi?" Carth asked.

She shook her head. Civilian. Well, better than nothing. Trask tossed her a blaster he pried from the corpse of a nearby Sith and tossed it her direction. Carth just hoped she was more likely to shoot the enemy than them or herself.

A disconcerting thud followed a shout on the deck right outside the room. Trask made the explanation short. "I'm Trask Ulgo, an ensign with the Republic fleet, and Commander Onasi is behind me.' Trask explained. The Endar Spire is under attack! Hurry up - we don't have much time."

Carth elaborated as they started back through the corridors. "The ship's a loss. The Sith already boarded." The sizzle of damaged electronics and the shriek of a utility droid brought them back to the present danger outside the room. "We're walking right into hell."

The maze of corridors and bulkheads was scarred and pitted, with only the sounds of the alarms as they made their way across the decks to the nearest escape pods. Trask moved recklessly, leaping over the piles of debris and wreckage in their path. Carth would have to lecture him on that later. Carth was in the middle with Kairi at the rear. At least she wasn't paralyzed with fear or hysterical. That would just make matters worse.

They were just about to the bridge, crossing one of the wide corridors when they heard. "Halt, Republic!"

Sith -- four of them in the concealing armor that gave them the look of cold and impersonal killing machines in a polished exoskeleton, more droids than sentients. Three had blasters and a fourth, the officer, carried a vibroblade. Just as the Sith was about to shoot them, the deck buckled beneath them, sending all parties sprawling to the deck, and the fight was on!

Carth managed to pick off the officer in two shots, Trask missed a shot, but the second one wounded one of them in the leg. However, they were so distracted that they didn't see the small sphere that landed at their feet that landed with a cross of an explosion and shattered glass. A plasma grenade hit right in the center of the pack, blasting them with a wave of searing heat and knocking them to the deck.

Carth looked behind him to see who threw it. Kairi just nodded at him. "Not bad," he commented as Trask set to work on the manual override of the bridge doors.

The bridge was in bad shape. The transparent plastisteel windows were starting to crack. It wouldn't be long before this area would vent to space. Bastila was not there, thankfully. For once, she must have listened to the advice of the Republic officers and got the hell of this crate.

The only ones a still standing on the bridge were two Sith duelists with short swords. They were dressed in light fiber armor to add to their freedom of movement, and their faces had a half-mask, which concealed all but their eyes. Worse, there was a thin sheen surrounding them -- energy shields. Trask tried to duck away, but wasn't fast enough. He raised his blaster to shoot them, and they rushed him, knocking him to the deck and set upon him like a pack of kath hounds taking down prey. One of the duelists caught him in the ribs, yanking out the blade as foamy blood spurted from the wound. Carth's blaster shots managed to take out the shields, and one of the duelists, but too late. Kairi's shots were less precise, but the second one was sent crumpling to the deck.

Kairi pulled an equipment pack from the wall, running up to Trask. She had to know that those wounds were bad. Even if they got him out of here, he likely wasn't going to make it. Carth swallowed hard and let Kairi do what she could while he ran for the only functional panel left.

"There are two escape pods left, and the Spire's going to fall apart in a couple minutes." He looked over at Trask and Kairi. "Let's get out of here."

Kairi pulled out a kolto bandage and clasped it to the one on his side, but Trask was gasping and bleeding in several places. She was trying to rummage through the kit with her other hand. Trask stopped her.

"No time for it," Trask said. "Get out of here. There's..."

Carth ran back. Kairi looked up at him, confused.

_Leave no man behind_. Carth pulled Trask to his feet, the wounded man leaning on his and Kairi's shoulders for support.

The door to the escape pods slid open, but someone was waiting for them. Everything about his appearance was designed to elicit terror. His head was shaved, and black dueling armor was perfectly tailored to his tall, well-muscled frame - covering from the neck down, but still light enough for full movement. Over his shoulders was a flowing cape. He made no move, but blocked the way to the bridge's escape pod. Another chilling sign of what they were dealing with; two of Bastila's Jedi entourage lay dead at his feet. The dark-clad man pulled something from his belt, smiling as a double-bladed red lightsaber flared to life.

Their half-second of hesitation was an opening for Trask. With a surprising strength, despite his wounds, he struggled from their grasp. "For the Republic!"

Kairi shouted and tried to rush after him, but the door slammed shut as soon as he stepped through. She banged on the heavy blast doors, but it was of no use.

Carth grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. "He's dead already,"

Kairi shuddered, but nodded and the two of them ran towards their last chance of escape. Carth started working the computer panel, gesturing to her to get into that last pod. "Bastila's already left. No reason to stick around and get shot."

The ship rocked and shuddered again, and the power conduit behind Carth sparked dangerously. With a sharp cry, she plowed into him, narrowly shoving him out of the way before it exploded, sending white fire directly into her.

"Kairi!"

He knelt by her, mostly as a formality. She had to be dead after taking that shock, but a part of him hoped...Carth gasped. She was breathing - still alive! He scooped her up in his arms and strapped her into the escape pod before climbing in himself. Quickly, he set the launch, and they barely rocketed out of the doomed ship before it silently detonated behind them.


	2. The Upper City

_**Part Two: Air**_

_**Taris**_

_**Chapter 1**_

_A Strange Dream_

_A doomed ship, like the Spire, but certainly not the same one. The technology was not Republic, hexagonal shapes and strange angles suggesting unknown and alien design. The lighting was dim and oppressive, and through the view ports, the battle raged._

_Republic fighters and Sith snub-nosed bombers dove and danced like insects, green and red blaster fire flashing briefly before connecting with their targets. Sith officers and soldiers lay dead on the decks. The readouts on the panels were shrieking their warnings and critical danger signals, but there were no alarms on this ship._

_Clad in the Sith style of full armor, heavy cloak, and concealing face mask, their leader waited for the inevitable. Enemies were coming - enemies that would be destroyed lest they escape the doomed ship - lest they destroy the Dark Lord as the Council no doubt ordered. The leader shouted orders, transmitting plans to the ships that remained and cursing the Republic. How could their enemies see through the plans? How was it that the perfect strategies could fail so badly?_

_A disturbance in the Force - the Jedi had come. Revan knew what they'd come for, and damned if they would get it!_

_The bridge doors opened. Four Jedi stepped forward. Three wore the traditional tan robes. The one who led them did not. She was quite young, with the build of a dancer - lithe and tall, wielding a lightsaber of sunshine yellow._

_Revan turned, sending a mute command to the honor guard to stop them. Four Dark Jedi rushed from the shadows to beat the invaders back. Revan could not look away. The clash of lightsabers, the sizzle of energy and the smell of ozone filled the air._

_"The Force fights with me!" the young Jedi shouted as she fought back the attacks with astounding skill and reflexes. The strange part was how unruffled she looked in the heat of battle, not even one strand of syrup-brown hair seemed to come loose._

_Outside, the battle was all but lost. Strategy had failed, and the Dark Side was failing Revan. The only thing left was the bridge of Revan's flagship - and making certain these Jedi would never take a Dark Lord - dead or alive._

* * *

_Kairi Niko, Civilian advisor, class three..._

Carth must have read the datapad he found in her jacket a few hundred times already. Standard Republic file - dry reading. It didn't have much else to say about the small woman who had spent the last two days drifting from unconsciousness to delirium, and back to unconsciousness.

Whatever she was seeing behind her eyes, it must have been one hell of a nightmare.

The apartment was a dump, but at least it was relatively safe. The pod crashed in the Upper City of Taris - a planet that once had been called the Outer Rim's Courscant, as the sprawling city took up most of the planet's surface. With new hyperspace routes, though, came Taris's slow decline. The fighting overhead had provided a lot of confusion and panic, so he had been able to grab Kairi and run away from the crash of their pod. He stumbled into this sleazy building and overrode the low-grade lock. Fortunately, the landlord apparently wasn't a frequent visitor, or a stickler for the law. Most of the building's residents weren't human, and that was technically illegal for this part of the planet.

A Sith patrol marched down the sidewalks. It didn't take them long after the battle to march down here and impose "order" (read: martial law). They'd been strutting the sidewalks since the battle, but hadn't come by this building yet. The less fortunate news was that they'd quarantined the planet. Even if they could book passage or attempt smuggling themselves off-planet, Sith automated turrets would vaporize the ship before it could break atmosphere.

In his scouting, he also learned that escape pods had crashed into the Lower and Under cities, and the most he was able to learn is that they were lawless and dangerous places. The Sith sent patrols down there, and were hiring stranded mercenaries as scouts.

Carth had been using the workbench and a discarded bag of tools to make some modifications to his blaster when he heard Kairi gasp, and bolt upright in her bunk, her dark eyes searching the room and obvious panic on her face. Putting the blaster aside he hurried to her side, taking her shoulders.

"Kairi?"

She stared at him blankly. "Where...where am I? Who are you...?"

Awake! Between the plasma shock and the pod crashing, it was nothing short of a twice-over miracle! "Easy, there," he said. "We're okay for the moment. I'm Carth, one of the Republic soldiers from the_ Endar Spire._ I was with you in the escape pod. Do you remember?"

Her gaze went inward, probably trying to make sense of what happened. "I...I remember a battle, yes." She put her head in her hands. "But everything else...it's a blank!"

"You're lucky to be alive at all, shoving me out of the way of that exploding plasma conduit. Thank you, by the way. You've also been in and out of consciousness for a couple days now, so I imagine you're confused. Try not to worry. It'll probably come back to you."

"You must have been the one to save my life then." She paused, seemingly baffled by the very idea. "Why?"

"Why?" Carth wasn't sure he heard that right.

"You put yourself at risk to save someone you didn't know." It wasn't an accusation; more like the whole concept was a little hard to understand.

Carth bit back his irritation and picked the simplest explanation he could. "I've never left anyone behind on a mission, and I'm not about to start." He handed her a datapad. "Here, it's got your service record on it. Maybe it'll bring back a few things."

She took the datapad, reading it over in silence. If she was confused before, then reading her file only served to worsen it.

"According to this, you're a translator, specializing in Outer Rim languages that Bastila hauled along for the mission," Carth explained. He took a deep breath before speaking again. The next words were hard for him to admit. "Anyway, I'm no linguist. Aside from Basic, I know enough Twi'leki to ask directions, and enough Mandalorian dialect to get me into a fistfight. If any of your linguistic talents are intact, we'll need them."

"Who is Bastila?"

_Geez, she's not kidding about her memory being shot, is she?_ "Bastila's a Jedi, and she's key to the whole Republic war effort. It's critical that we find her before the Sith do."

"How can one person, even a Jedi, be so important?" She scowled and rubbed her forehead.

Carth wagered she still had a vicious headache, and tried to explain, even if he didn't know much past the basics. "She has this gift called Battle Meditation. Don't ask me how it works, but she's able to influence the course of a fight just by sheer will. Already, she used it in the battle that killed Revan - Malak's Sith master. And that's the reason why Malak wants her so badly."

Kairi scowled, rubbing her forehead like it ached. "Malak and Revan...the Sith leaders, right?"

"Yeah." Carth tiredly looked up. "Republic managed to get Revan out of the picture about a year ago, but the cost was high, and for what Revan had for tactical brilliance, Malak makes up for in sheer evil - he and his followers don't respect anything but raw, brutal power." His words were bitter. "They became monsters - ruthless tyrants that will crush anything in their way and want to leave the Republic a smoking ruin." Shaking his head in bitter disbelief, he added. "Hard to imagine that the both of them were Jedi."

"They were?"

"Yeah. You didn't know?"

"It's..." She shook her head. "There are bits, pieces...nothing makes sense."

"Not your fault that you can't recall anything. I've seen the damage plasma bolts can do - disrupts all the electrical impulses in a person. Most of the time, the nervous system and brain just fry from the overload. You're lucky, Kairi."

She thought about this for a moment. "All right, Carth. I...I'll help you. It's all I can trade for my life," she said. "What's the situation?"

"We're in abandoned apartment on Taris. It's a dump, but it works pretty well for a hideout." Carth explained. He walked over to the window and looked out on the vast cityscape. "While you've spent the last couple days recovering, I've done a little scouting."

"Go on."

"The situation's bad. The Sith fleet is in orbit, and they declared martial law on the whole damn planet. There are patrols out on the streets, and Bastila's still missing." He shook his head. "I've been in worse spots."

Kairi raised an eyebrow, silently asking what qualified for "worse."

He avoided answering her question for the time being. "The planet's one big city, and the deeper you go, the worse it gets. There've been reports of crashed escape pods in the Undercity. One of them might be Bastila's; that's where I'll need the help. Going in there unprepared is suicide, and we're no good to her dead." He handed her the blaster she carried from the _Spire_, along with a harness to holster it. She inspected it like it was an exotic piece of machinery, and not the most common weapon on the Rim.

"The Republic's not going to be able to help us - not with the Sith blockade. We're on our own there. Half the Sith fleet's probably looking for her. The good news is that means a couple common soldiers like us might be able to move about undetected. The second bit of good news is that many of the citizens are armed. Tarisian nobles still get into duels over petty insults, and we're still talking about the Outer Rim."

"Well, the sooner we start looking, the better the chances we'll find her before her enemies do." She finished her inspection of the blaster. Satisfied, she put it back in the holster and pulled on her jacket to cover it. After she put it on, she paused, feeling in the pocket and pulling out a set of leather hair ties with silver beads. She looked at them with vague recollection. "You saved these, too?"

Carth shrugged. "They were yours."

She secured her hair. "I'm certain there are those who are sympathetic to the Republic here, or at the very least opposed to the Sith, and the very idea of a Jedi crashing here would generate a lot of talk. A cantina, preferably one by the spaceports, would likely have some of both."

"Good idea. I just hope the leads don't lead us into a Sith garrison." He stared out the grimy window as if he hoped to see Bastila out on the streets below. "I've heard some grim things about Dark Jedi interrogation techniques. They say the Force can to terrible things to a mind. It can wipe away your memories and destroy your very identity."

"It's bad enough I can't recall anything now." Kairi grimaced. "I'd sooner not find out if those rumors are true."

"I don't either," Carth admitted. "Alright, soldier, let's move out."

The apartment complex itself was poorly laid out, running around in a circle with rows of unmarked doors. It took a little "persuasion" to get the lift slide open, and a slow and shaky ride in it brought them to the lobby.

Unfortunately, a "situation" blocked their exit. A low-ranked female officer with apparent delusions of grandeur had two Duros up against the wall. Two Sith troops in full armor stood nearby.

"You had _better_ tell me where you hid those uniforms, alien scum. The Sith can make your life..." Her voice dropped ominously. "Nasty and short otherwise. Tell us what you know of the Tarisian underground and we might reduce your punishment."

"Just great," Carth muttered. "You get back inside the lift -"

The Duros language wasn't comprehensible to Carth. From what he could tell, they were protesting the charges. Fortunately, his theory about Kairi's skills being intact proved correct. She turned to him, whispering. "They say they don't know anything."

"Knowing the Sith, that won't matter," Carth whispered. "She'll kill him anyway."

"I see you don't carry the proper papers, either. Where are your work papers?" the officer demanded.

"Oh, great," the first soldier said to the other. "Lieutenant Crace is losing her temper again. Took me hours to clean the blood off this armor last time."

As the smaller of the Duros attempted to explain, the commander turned her blaster rifle and shot him point-blank in the chest, killing him instantly. She leveled her rifle at the horrified survivor. "That is how we Sith deal with smart mouthed vermin. Now, tell me what I want to know or be next!"

One of the troopers turned in their direction, his body radiating hostility and his vibroblade punctuating his words. "You're a little too curious for your own good, citizens," the trooper warned. "Move along if you know what's best for you."

Turning her attention from the captive Duros to Kairi and Carth, the officer's blaster rifle went up and her voice was burning. "What is this? Humans hiding out with aliens?" Her face turned livid. "Republic fugitives, I'll bet! Attack!"

So much for trying to lie low.

Kairi drew her blaster, shooting the officer in the shoulder, causing her to drop the blaster with an angry howl. A second shot sent the Sith crumpling in a heap. Carth drew his blasters and nailed one of the guards. In the moment's distraction, the surviving Duros grabbed the blaster rifle and took down the third. The patrol was dead and the fight over. The Duros knelt by his friend, but there was nothing to be done. Kairi translated as he spoke.

_"Poor Ixgil. He never should have talked back, but I am glad that you were able to step in and help, humans."_

_"Won't they search for this patrol?"_ Kairi switched languages fluidly.

_"I'll move the bodies, and make it look like they got caught in the gang war in the Lower City. That should throw them off the track. With any luck, they won't bother us again for a while."_

When she quickly translated for Carth, he asked, "Gang war?"

_"Ah,"_ the Duros said. _"You are from off-world. You will find many here who oppose the Sith if you know where to look. Authorities turn a blind eye - both the Taris ones, and often the Sith. Maybe they figure it's not worth the bother, or maybe our landlord bribes officials." _He continued as he started searching the bodies. _"As for the gang wars, there are only two important gangs to worry about. The Black Vulkars that want to control the entire Lower City and will kill almost anyone that crosses their path. The Hidden Beks stand in their way."_

"I suppose it's because I'm not from here, but what does the gang war have to do with the Sith?" Carth asked.

_"The Beks do not bow to invaders - not Vulkars, not Sith. When the Mandalorians occupied the planet during the War, the Beks committed themselves to the Resistance and helped drive them out. They're still the closest thing to law you get in the Lower City. Gadon Thek, the Bek leader, is gathering resources and uniting gangs to stand up to the Sith and show them what we showed the Mandalorians! That is why we send them supplies and information from the Upper City. Beks are glad to help anyone who is no friend of Sith. You should go there - mention that I sent you and Gadon will do what he can."_

Kairi glanced up at Carth. "Looks like we didn't have to travel far at all to get a lead." She then looked back at the Duros. _"But about the uniforms?"_

_"Beks take Sith armor. When Sith come to the Lower City, the Beks use the disguise to ambush their patrols."_

When Kairi translated this to Carth, a plan seemed to start brewing. "Interesting. Maybe he can point us in the right direction, and we certainly could use a local guide."

"We'll check it out, thank you."

The Duros handed them a small bag._ "Take this. Gangs loot the bodies, and I think you could use it."_

Kairi opened it. Five hundred credits in extortion money were inside.

_"Best of luck, enemies of Sith,"_ said the Duros, already slinging the corpse of the officer over his shoulders and vanishing from sight.

****

Like an aging beauty, the Upper City of Taris was more beautiful when one saw it for what it must have looked like in its prime, not in its present. Graceful skyscrapers hundreds of meters high were built in the circular or arching design that was the height of fashion a century ago. Abstract sculptures gently turned on repulsorlift bases and the fountains flowed, recycling their water in a never-ending pattern. It was enough to overlook the less than kind aspects of time, like the scars left by acid rain on the sculpture or the overly-chemical smell of the water with its grimy coins at the bottom and mildew growing into the cracked permacrete. The Upper City's citizens seemed as part of the landscape - faded beauty. Most wore fashionable clothes and carried themselves with a jaded air, lacking interest in what was around them as they did their daily business. Efficient but worn protocol or maintenance droids could be seen on their tasks.

What stood out about Taris were the patrols. Their polished armor and precision of movement clashed greatly with the complacency and mild neglect of the surroundings. They walked like they owned the streets because they did own the streets. Everything about them was cold, efficient, brutal and hard. Even without the concealing, intimidating armors of red, silver, and black, they were unmistakably Sith.

Kairi looked around, curious about everything, trying to place the words to objects, hoping something might trigger any trace of a memory. Had she been here before? Maybe that wasn't important to think about right now. There was just so..._much_...around her -- bright colors, the sharp, acrid smells of the chemically-treated water and wet permacrete. It had rained recently, and the streets were slightly slick, the air heavy with ozone. This place seemed a little odd in that it was rare to see any non-human. There was a beggar in one corner that might have been a near-human. A Twi'lek was following closely behind a fat old woman that was obviously her employer -- or worse, her owner. An Ithorian with a large orange patch on his clothing, denoting permission to work in the area, was fixing a cleanup droid.

She tried to listen to some of the conversations as she passed by, but couldn't hear many words over the noise. Still, there was a certain noise she could make out -- something that hummed low and loud through the air. It spiked when a patrol walked by and people halted their conversations.

_Fear._

The elevator to the Lower City was on the north side of this sector, near the Sith Base, past an area of town aptly called "The Maze" for its narrow, twisting passageways. "The Maze" showed more neglect than most of the Upper City - overflowing refuse bins, the odd graffiti on a wall. It would be a good place to lose someone - in more ways then one. It was also strangely abandoned - as if no one had reason to even venture into the area's labyrinth of alleys and decay.

Unfortunately, a fully armored soldier was guarding the lift, and with the base nearby, overpowering him wasn't an option. They waited in a nearby blind alley. Maybe the end of his shift would give them a chance.

Two more armored Sith walked up to him. Giving them a cursory glance, he opened the elevator doors and waved them past. "Did you see that?" Carth asked.

"See what?"

"The guard's lazy. He's not even bothering to check ID. If we manage to get our hands on some uniforms, I'll bet we can sneak right past him."

"We should have asked the Duros back at the apartment," Kairi said. "Or find another way to steal some uniforms."

"We'll add that to the grocery list," Carth said as they followed the maze of back streets and dead-end alleys. "Now, first, we're going to have to --"

"Help! Someone!" It was the voice of an old man.

Kairi's hand went for her holster. Carth grabbed her arm. "Low profile, Kairi. If there's Sith involved..."

"Help!" called the old man again. With it, came a sharp...she couldn't call it pain because it did not hurt, at least physically. The discomfort seemed to come in waves, making it impossible to stay put. Kairi shrugged off Carth's grip, running towards the source of the cry.

Two menacing-looking thugs had an old man pinned against the wall in a dark alley. No Sith or anyone else was in sight. It would appear that the thugs had chosen this abandoned cul-de-sac carefully.

"Davik doesn't like people missing payments old man," the first thug said. He brandished a nasty-looking vibroknife, holding it to the man's throat.

"But I don't have the hundred credits." The old man was shaking now. "I've only half that. Please, take it and go."

The second thug, an Aqualish, laughed. His human companion just shrugged.

"Too bad. Davik wants it in full. We're just going to have to take it out of you another way..."

"Let him go!" Kairi shouted.

The human thug sneered. "We're with the Exchange, and we own this rock. You don't want us to be your problem."

"And this is how you demonstrate that power? Roughing up old men?" Kairi patted her pocket. "I heard enough. I've got what this man owes. Take it and leave."

The pair seemed to consider it for a moment. The Aqualish was like stone. The human couldn't stop smirking. Just as it seemed that they were going to take Kairi's offer, the Aqualish spun around and shot the old man in the leg. The human with the knife lunged, and sliced through her jacket, leaving a long, jagged gash in her arm. The blood on her hand made the blaster hard to hold.

Before the man with the vibroknife could strike a second time, she saw it coming. Blocking it, she spun and kicked the man into the wall as hard as she could. A second strike to the back of his neck knocked him cold. The Aqualish fired on her, forcing her behind a refuse bin. Just as he had her trapped, a second blaster shot flew through the air. The Aqualish, hit square in the chest, collapsed.

Kairi ran over to the old man. The wound in his leg was painful, but not immediately life-threatening. The sharp discomfort she had felt when she heard his cry had dulled to a steadier ache. She heard Carth behind her.

"Damn it, Kairi, next time you get the impulse to play hero..."

She looked behind her shoulder. "And what was I supposed to do?" She looked at the would-be muggers. "I'm not watching someone else die today."

Carth swore under his breath. He was here to do the same thing. Unfortunately, that meant he couldn't chew out his companion properly over a reckless act of heroism. Still, he was the soldier. She was a civilian with a purported case of total amnesia, and some part of him felt responsible for her. "Kairi, he got your arm. You're bleeding."

Kairi pulled off her shirt and ripped it to rags to bandage the old man's wound and her own, apparently not caring that she was down to her undershirt in full view of two strangers. "He's going to need a doctor."

The man groaned. "Zelka...his clinic is nearby."

"I just hope he's not one for questions." Carth helped the old man up, allowing him to lean heavily on him and Kairi as they hurried along the labyrinth of streets.

The clinic wasn't far at all, maybe a kilometer from the attack. The pair pushed open the doors and Carth bellowed for a medic. Within seconds, a repulsorlift stretcher and two medtechs whisked the old man off. Carth insisted on going with Kairi and a third medtech as they led her to another treatment room.

A synthskin bandage took care of Kairi's wound, and one of the medtechs found Kairi a shirt, but they were told to wait in the treatment room while Zelka, the head doctor, ran some tests to make certain the bounty hunter's knife didn't have toxins on it.

It left them alone for a good while in uncomfortable silence. He kept looking at her, then looking away. So much for the low profile. Already they nailed three Sith and two bounty hunters. He really couldn't blame her for any of it. After all, the Sith picked the fight and those bounty hunters were about to slice apart some old man who probably hadn't done anything but borrow a handful of credits. He wanted to ask where she learned that counter to the guy with the knife, but it wouldn't get him anywhere. She couldn't answer that.

_Or wouldn't, _his suspicion argued. _Total amnesia is more common to holodramas than reality. _

"Carth, something's bothering you."

"Just thinking, I suppose," he said.

She experimentally rubbed her healing arm. "Well, there's nothing to do but wait." Just as it seemed things would go back to their long stretch of silence, she asked. "If it's not too much trouble, can you tell me a bit about yourself?"

"About me? I guess I can see why. I get the feeling we're going to be spending a while together." Carth scowled for a moment. _No way she could know, right? Well, either that, or she's..._ He folded his arms and relaxed against the wall. "You sure you want to know? It's nothing special, trust me."

She tilted her head to one side and gestured for him to continue.

"I've seen plenty of war, Kairi. Was fighting in the Mandalorian wars before this started, but that's nothing compared to what those Sith bastards can unleash. I've seen it - been too close to it." He hesitated, and then shook his head. What the hell? It was public record, anyway. "My home world was Telos, one of the first to fall to Malak's fleet. The Sith...bombed it to ashes, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do to stop them."

Horror crossed her face, followed by sympathy - the usual reactions. "I'm sorry, Carth." Usually, this was where everyone shut up and left him the frak alone, or got eager to change the subject.

Kairi, he soon would realize in more definite terms, was not most people. "Say what you want. I'll listen."

"What is there to say?" Anger slipped into his voice. "I'm just a soldier. I go where the fleet admirals tell me to, following orders, doing my duty. Just..." He sighed with frustration, sitting heavily on the bench near the treatment cot, one hand running through his hair. "It just doesn't seem right that doing that means I failed them. I...I didn't!"

She was scowling now - upset and confused because he was upset and confused. "The people of your home world?"

"Yes...No. That's not..." He paused and sighed heavily again. "I'm not making sense, am I?" Rising to his feet again, he walked ahead of her. "You probably mean well, Kairi, but I'm just not accustomed to talking about my past very much. At all, actually."

Kairi nodded, but reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. "If you need to talk, know that I will listen."

He wanted to like her. He truly did. As much as he wanted to get some of this off his chest, the hurt of betrayal was still burning white hot. Carth decided he already said more than he wanted.

"Maybe," he said. But he really had no intention of following through on it.

The door opened, and a dark-skinned human man in late middle age checked his pad and looked them over. "I can tell from your clothing you're from off-world. Still never let it be said that I turn away someone in need. My name is Dr. Zelka Forn, and you are..."

"Kairi," she said. "The man with me is my friend, Carth."

Before Carth could say anything, Zelka looked at the healing gash on Kairi's arm. "Well, good...no adverse reactions to the dermal regeneration pack." He made a note on his datapad and looked up at her again. "How did it happen?"

Carth decided to explain. "Two muggers and an old man. We...got into a fight with them."

Kairi's eyes widened. "Yes, we brought him with us. Is he going to be all right?"

Zelka seemed impressed. "So you're the pair of spacers that rescued Leto? Well, for that you have my thanks. And if they were muggers or bounty hunters, I wouldn't worry too much about the law here seeking reprisal."

"Figures," said Carth.

"How did an old man like him run afoul of bounty hunters in the first place?" Kairi asked.

"During the last outbreak of Corellian flu, Davik seized the shipments of medicine and the price soared. Those who couldn't pay were forced to take out loans - not even I could reason with him." Zelka shook his head. "Leto did everything to try to save his wife, even dealt with Davik. Even after the medicine, her system was badly weakened. She passed away some months later."

Carth grimaced. "Nice guy."

Zelka took out a medical scanner. "But, back to the subject of you, Miss. I was checking for neurotoxins. Fortunately, I didn't find any." He stroked his chin as he checked the datapad again. "I did detect evidence of other neural damage, though. Any dizziness in the past few days? Faintness?"

Kairi shook her head. "No, none of those."

"She got hurt a couple days ago," said Carth, attempting not to give out too many details. "Got too close to a transformer that blew. Her memory's been fuzzy after that."

Zelka whistled. "You're quite lucky, then. I still want you back here in two days for a complete scan."

"We're...we're stuck here for the moment. Quarantine." Carth explained. "We're a little low on credits right now."

"That doesn't matter. I'm not here for the credits. Just pay what you can - I operate on a sliding scale. I'd just like to run some more tests on your friend here." Zelka shook his head. "When I was younger and braver, I'd go to the Lower and Under Cities often to heal the sick. No one is turned away here - not the richest Tarisian noble, and not the poorest Outcast."

"Outcasts?" Kairi asked

Zelka sighed, and his entire body slumped from long-held grief. "When this planet was in its heyday, there was some illusion of local law. Aside from the Sith, the only universal law on Taris is the law of your credit chips or blaster." He rummaged in his kit for another scanner as he continued. "Well, the Upper City's not bad, if you can tolerate the self-absorption and snobbery. The Lower City's overrun by swoop gangs, and from what I've heard, there's a full-blown gang war down there. The Undercity is even worse. The people living there, the Outcasts, are mostly decent, but the rakghouls have then under siege constantly."

"Rakghouls? What are they?" Kairi asked.

"It's a disease that's plagued Taris for decades. The Undercity is filled with the creatures - horrible monsters that feed on flesh, and anyone bitten soon mutates into a rakghoul themselves. I've been working on a cure for years, but just as I was about to create a vaccine the Sith confiscated my notes, and it's not like the authorities here give a damn what happens to the Outcasts." Zelka's tone was bitter. "I hear the Sith have actually used my notes to make a workable serum for their patrols that go into the Undercity. If only I could get my hands on a sample of the serum. I remember enough of my notes that I'd be able to make it myself if I could just see the finished product. Until then, a cure is just a dream I'll never see."

Kairi looked over at Carth, asking silent permission. When he nodded approval, she fished her credits from her pocket. "I don't know how much it will cost to take care of my arm, but if there's anything left over, please give it to Leto. Tell him to pay off his debt to Davik."

Zekla took it, and inspected it. "I know spacers. Most aren't terribly benevolent. I wasn't going to charge you for this - you were injured saving an old man's life, but you're also paying his debt to Davik?"

Kairi nodded, and pressed the vouchers into his hand.

"I was beginning to forget there are benevolent spirits that still walk among us," Zelka said. "I'll make sure this covers Leto's debt to Davik. The only good part about that man is that he calls off the bounties once debts are paid. With this, Leto can live out his days without fear."

After Zelka left the room, they continued to watch the door.

"We could have used that to get supplies, y'know," Carth said quietly.

"I may not remember the reason for it, but crime lords disgust me," Kairi said distantly. "Leto has his life. I would still call it money well-spent."

After a pause, Carth nodded with agreement. "Very well spent."

****

They came to the door they used to enter the clinic only to find it locked. A sign on the door read that the entrance was locked after the eighteenth hour.

Carth rolled his eyes. "Geez. I swear Taris was designed by some near-sighted guy with a hang-up for labyrinths."

"Best to go back to Zelka's office and ask if he can escort us out."

Retracing their steps, they walked back into the main lobby of the clinic. It didn't take long. Zelka was checking the supplies. He didn't see them, but closed the door behind him. They approached the door and knocked. No answer. The lock was easy enough to slice, and they walked in. Zelka was nowhere to be found.

"I don't get it," Carth said. "How could he just vanish?"

"Maybe there's more than one way out," Kairi said, feeling the edge of the shelves. "Carth, this one's not attached to the wall. I think..." She traced the edge until she found a panel, concealed as an ordinary temperature gauge.

A hidden door slid open, revealing a lift. Stepping inside, the lift whisked them upwards, stopping at what appeared to be the topmost level - storage. The doors opened and they stepped out. It wasn't storage they found. The room was no bigger than the main room of their hideout. Inside healing chambers were four critically injured men. Zelka was checking the readings on one of them when he must have heard them enter. Sensing the other people in the room, the doctor whirled around, dropping the datapad that was in his hand, but otherwise paralyzed with terror.

Kairi backed up, stunned. "I...I don't believe this."

Carth's eyes went wide as he got a look at the face of one of them. "These men. Kairi, I recognize them! Zelka, you've been..."

"You recognize them?" Zelka asked. "But how...unless...unless you're also Republic soldiers."

"I have been for most of my life," said Carth. "Our escape pod crashed, and we were able to get away. You've actually been..."

"Good to know some managed to survive - and stay out of Sith hands." Zelka finally let out that breath he was holding, picking the datapad he dropped from the floor. "Since the battle, people have brought these survivors in. These men...they likely won't survive. All I can do is make their dying moments more comfortable, but I am a healer - I couldn't just hand them over."

"For that, you have my deepest thanks." Carth extended his hand in gratitude. "It is still good to know that some of these soldiers found their way into compassionate hands."

Zelka gladly shook hands. "The Sith haven't returned since their initial questioning, but I shudder to think what would happen if these men were discovered. I'm just glad that I could hide them away."

"Is there anything we can do to help you?" Kairi asked. "Supplies, information?"

"Keep my secret, and I'll keep yours. Thank you again. Now, I'll be the one to show you the way out as soon as I'm finished."

****

They purchased a few medpacks and were on their way again. The five hundred credits were down to about a hundred and seventy. The sun had set by the time they got back to the apartment. Stockpiling the medicine in one corner, they decided to extend their information gathering to the cantina.

Sure enough, the South End Cantina was packed - mostly an off-world clientele, too. Carth found a table and motioned for Kairi to sit. She seemed distant as she watched the room. Eventually, her eyes settled on a table near the bar. A human with a thick accent and a red tunic was flipping over cards, making the other man sitting across from him very irritated and rattled.

"Paazak," Carth said with a shrug. "Good way to kill time, but I'd never risk actual money with it."

When Kairi looked to him for an explanation, he just shrugged. "Not that good of a player."

Kairi seemed to consider this. "Would you object much if I took a risk with those credits we liberated?"

"Just take forty, all right? I don't want to lose our shirts here."

Kairi took up the credits. "Back in a moment."

She sat and watched the game, discerning the patterns. The game seemed simple enough - get to twenty without going over and use a side deck to add or subtract as needed. The first to win three hands won the match. The man in the red tunic smiled viciously as he overturned a card from his side deck, winning the match. Pounding the table in frustration, his opponent left quite a bit poorer.

She watched another opponent take the table, not watching for how they won or lost, but the cards themselves. There was a method to them, a pattern in the computerized dealing. There was also the matter of the dealer's side deck. She started to notice what cards he did and did not have. After two hours and a dozen losses, that opponent left the table in disgust.

Kairi tapped him on the shoulder. "Pardon me, sir."

"What?"

"I was wondering about Pazaak..."

"You want to get into the game? Fine. I'll sell this worthless deck to you for twenty credits. Still won't be a tenth of what I lost..."

Kairi shrugged and paid the man, who all but threw the deck at her in return, then walked up to the front of the table. The man in the red tunic was still gloating, a scantily-clad woman under each arm. "And Nikos, the great Pazaak player, wins again," he said, challenging the crowd for another victim. "Will any here challenge me?"

"I'll try," Kairi said. "If you'd not mind starting small."

Niklos smiled wide, but Kairi could see him sizing her up as prey. "Certainly, miss. Have a seat. We will deal the cards."

Niklos was overconfident...Kairi decided she would use it to her advantage. Her own side deck wasn't anything spectacular, but she was sure it would do the job. Settling in with a two credit bet, Kairi watched for the patterns.

Carth made the rounds. This place was like a million other sleazy cantinas through the galaxy, aside from the pretension. A Bith band and two Twi'lek servers were the only non-humans to be seen in the place.

Tarsian nobility stuck out with jaded arrogance that exceeded any previous definition he may have had for it. Already, he'd been mistaken for a waiter and screamed at twice. There seemed to be quite the crowd in the card room. He figured Kairi must have lost the credits to the shark already.

Aside from the music room and the card room, there were two other "back rooms." One of them was lined with monitors. A staircase at the back read "Duelists only!" Three humans and a Rodian in light combat suits were signing autoprints. A fourth sat glumly in a corner. On a large couch in the room's back was a good-sized Hutt counting what must have been sizeable profits from the last match. An advert for a "Buy, Sell, Trade" Weapons shop hung in the room as a "sponsor" for the duel ring. Judging from the placement of the ad and the style, it looked like a place where questions weren't asked if the merchandise was functional. He sat down at an empty booth to try and think of a plan when he heard someone speaking to him.

"Well, hello stranger..." An icy looking woman was staring at him the way a spider stared at an insect.

"Uh, hi..."

"I didn't realize how many off-worlders there were on Taris until we imposed the quarantine."

_Sith - and by the looks of her, officer to boot. Time to hide your cards, Onasi._

"Yeah, I got stranded here. Know of any way off-planet?"

She laughed. "Guess the old joke about spacers is true then? Never stick around longer than it takes to have a good roll and pick up a handful of credits...Well, the first part is fine by me. Older men, especially with a bit of scoundrel...makes quite the combination."

_She's...she's hitting on me? Damn good thing I wasn't in uniform during the attack, or I'd be in a morgue._

"Well, I'd at least like to know who I'm talking to before I consider offers like that." Not like he would, but maybe she'd slip something.

"Oh, so one who likes to pretend he's chivalrous," she purred and leaned in. "I'm Sarna. Junior Officer First Tier Sarna Galdak."

"Carth." He hesitated using his surname. For all he knew, it was on a wanted poster somewhere. He then felt a light tap on his shoulder.

"Hello, Carth," Kairi said. "Am I interrupting something?"

Sarna looked disappointed. "And here I thought you were alone."

"He's my employer, nothing more," she said, sliding into the booth.

_Great save, Kairi._

Part out of relief, part playing along, he chuckled. "Nice job...You actually held your own at Paazak?"

"Better than that," said a man strutting out from the crowd and sliding into the booth, sandwiching them between him and the Sith officer on the other end. "She actually frustrated Niklos enough to leave the table! Three hundred credits worth!"

Carth whistled. "Nice one. You have got to tell me your strategy, Kairi."

"Carth, is it? And Kairi, this is Yun Genda. He's also a Junior Officer First Tier with the Occupation force. I'm surprised you're sitting with us," Sarna still had a smile that could freeze a sun. "Most folks on Taris can't stand us Sith. Makes this a lonely job."

"Well you did just conquer the planet," Carth muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Sarna asked.

Carth cleaned his throat. "So, you're both Sith officers? And you're not in uniform?"

"We're off-duty," Yun said. "Besides, the owner of the cantina won't allow anyone in uniform to enter. Makes sense, I suppose...image and all that." He slid closer, putting his arm about Kairi's shoulders.

He wasn't blind. He saw her freeze. But Yun, being full of himself and the local hooch, didn't seem to notice. Carth gave her a silent look of _"play along, at least until we can scratch gravel." _

Yun continued to discuss the "light handed" treatment the Sith were giving Taris. "We could have done a lot worse - bombed it into glass, put bio-toxins in the air, imposed a curfew or started in with raids and summary executions, but we haven't! The Taris authorities were quite compliant - why can't the citizens be the same?"

Yun's hand slid down Kairi's arm, brushing lightly against her breast. She was pretending not to cringe. Carth decided he'd like nothing more than to tell the guy to keep his hands to himself. That's when he felt Sarna's hand on his thigh. These guys had all the subtlety of a bantha herd!

"You two certainly seem to be making the best of it," he said. He wanted to choke Sarna, but decided that rubbing her neck and just dreaming about it would have to do. "Picking up a couple of off-worlders in a cantina, enjoying the local ale..."

"Well, one learns the need to relax, blow off steam," Sarna said, blissfully relaxing into the neck rub. "Oh, you're good at this."

"Practice," Carth quipped.

Kairi, to her credit, was also trying to appear friendly. She also seemed better at turning on the charm. "Well, you're just doing your job, right? I wouldn't hold it against you."

"There's quite a lot I'd like you to hold against me," Yun said. Yup, she had him hooked and reeled in. "Nice to meet someone with a positive attitude. Good to talk about it. Gets lonely on base." He looked up at the chronometer on the wall. "Sarna!"

"What?"

"We're going to be late for our shift unless we hurry. Come on!"

Sarna looked up at the chronometer and practically bolted from her seat. As Yun got up, he told Kairi, "Some of us junior officers are having a party tomorrow night. North apartments, second floor, and unit eight - I'd really like it if you'd show up, Kairi. Perhaps we can talk some more?"

"Sounds good," she said.

Sarna brushed her hand on Carth's arm. "I look forward to seeing you, too. Bring those magic fingers of yours..."

The two officers left, and they breathed a huge sigh. Carth eagerly changed the subject.

"Three hundred credits playing Paazak?"

She hummed an affirmative. "I tried to play him to a standstill, starting out with two-credit bets. Once he started losing patience, his game suffered."

"I...well. This is going to go a long way to getting supplies!"

"Some of those winnings, however, will have to go to new clothes."

"You're thinking about pleasure shopping at a time like this?" Carth was boggled by the concept.

"Unless you want to show up to the Sith party in what we're wearing," she said, pointing to her slashed jacket, and his worn-looking one.

"I...you're actually serious about showing up to that thing?" He rubbed his forehead - one hell of a headache was on its way. "I hope you know what you're doing."

****

The next day was spent on gathering supplies. True to Carth's suspicions, the "equipment emporium" was a clean, yet vaguely sleazy pawnshop for new and used weapons. The proprietor, a human woman, was apologizing about the Sith confiscating her heavier weapons and swoop bike parts, but her business was still pretty brisk, thanks to off-world spacers being stuck on Taris. She also informed them that she welcomed new additions to the stock - no questions asked so long as the weapon was in good shape. Under other circumstances, Carth would have wanted to shut down a place like that. In their current situation, "no questions asked" was just the ticket.

After picking up ammo and a couple of light combat suits, the rest of the Pazaak winnings went to picking up sundries and a couple new sets of clothes. Not much was left over, but hopefully, they'd be off the planet soon enough.

"I don't know about this party. We shouldn't even go near it - fraternizing with the enemy, Kairi. You may be a civilian, but even you'd know that."

"It's called espionage, Carth. They're off duty, Yun tells me they've enough of the local ale to anesthetize a rancor, and they're Sith officers. The hope is that they'll let something slip." She adjusted her shirt to accentuate the plunging neckline, and made another check of her appearance in the metal panels that were the closest thing to a mirror they had. "It's the best break we've had so far, Carth. Even you have to admit that."

"Yeah, yeah, I do," he said. He adjusted the red tunic that Kairi insisted he get for the party.

Taking a step back, she opened her arms. "How do I look?"

Carth found it hard to say anything as he looked Kairi over. Her coal-black hair was loose, flowing over her shoulders, and her clothes accentuated her petite and otherwise boyish figure, bringing out the curves in her breasts and hips and emphasizing her sleek and toned muscles. The dark blue of the shirt contrasted against the light tan of her skin. Her heart-shaped face and dark, deep-set eyes had just a little coloring on them - nothing overdone.

"How do you look? You look...great." He tried to make light of it. "I'd invite you to a party anytime, Kairi."

She stood on tiptoe and lightly kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

Looking back, it would be the first time he thought of her as beautiful.

The party was in full swing when they arrived. About fifteen young men and women were present. A trash bin was already full of empty bottles that had contained the local ale. The sound system spat out bass-heavy music heavily layered with electronic instruments, producing several conflicting rhythms. Over in a corner, two young Sith were openly making out, their uniforms disheveled and partially undone.

The drunken revelry of the atmosphere hit Kairi like a physical blow. She stumbled with the force of it. The meditative high of the dancers as they concentrated on nothing but the music and the heavy rhythms seemed to fill her bones. The couple in the corner sent out lust that crashed into her like the beat of the music. Her movements were swaying slightly and she felt lightheaded.

Sarna pounced on Carth as he walked in the door, guiding him off to a far corner of the apartment. Kairi figured he could handle that groping woman by himself. She leaned against the wall, wondering how he could be so unaffected by the craziness.

"Hey, you made it!" Yun smiled broadly as she walked in. Hooking an arm about her waist, he led her to a sofa. "Was starting to think you stood me up."

Her head was still pounding, but she had to say something. "And what makes you think I'd stand up a man in uniform, especially one that invites me to a good party?"

Yun laughed heartily. "You can certainly pour it on, can't you?" He put an arm around her waist and led her about the party. She could tell he was already pleasantly drunk as he told bad jokes and leaned on her a bit as he introduced her to the others. Kairi made innocuous conversation and tried to relax, but her insides still felt like the overtaxed speaker system. Yun finished his tour and pulled her over to another chair, pulling her into his lap, one arm wrapped about her to prevent her from either falling or escaping.

As people paired off, and started vanishing, it was getting much harder to think. Her whole body was tingling, and she was feeling a bit intoxicated - even if she had nothing to drink at all since arriving.

Carth was pretending to laugh at a bad joke told by three of the other men. Why wasn't he being affected like this?

"Tell me, what exactly is such a fetching doll like you doing on such a miserable planet?"

She repeated the same answer. "The quarantine stranded me here."

"Yeah, but what brought you here in the first place?"

Kairi shuddered, the black hole of memory making her feel sick. She managed a plausible half-truth. "I'm just a translator. Thought Taris might be a good place to find work. Ships, crews...they always seem to need someone good with languages. Not much work with the quarantine."

"Oh," He took a bottle of Tarisian ale from the table, uncapped it and took a swig. "Ever thought about enlisting with the Sith? With all this alien scum about, we need a few good linguists to help the interrogators."

"I'm not really cut out for that kind of work," she said, remembering the Duros shot dead in her building.

"Of course!" Yun took another belt from the bottle. It was getting VERY uncomfortable sitting here. "How could I have been so silly? A delicate flower like you...well, it would be my duty to shelter you from those kind of dregs, wouldn't it?"

She wasn't about to get into an argument or carry that line of conversation further. "So, why the quarantine?"

"Nothing much. Just...well I'm sure you know that we won a pretty wicked battle overhead. Damn Republic managed to get some escape pods down to the planet, though. Mostly to the festering pits of the Lower and Under Cities. That's why we've walled off the place to tourists and off-worlders. It's not safe. If those Republic scum survived, we're more than happy to let them get shot by the gangs or eaten by the rakghouls. I certainly can't envy the blokes we send down to salvage the pods, though. Gangs and other scum likely beat them to anything of value." Yun inspected his empty bottle, and poured her off his lap. "Wait here. I'm heading to the kitchen. You ever try Tarisian ale? It's fantastic!" He was wobbling noticeably.

"Careful, Yun," warned Sarna, as she was trying to drag Carth onto the patio. "That wine's got quite the kick. We'll all be passed out on the floor after a couple more bottles."

"Who cares?" Yun countered. "We're not on duty tomorrow - let's live a little!"

Walking out of the kitchen with a half-dozen more ales, he passed them around the room. Kairi took hers without comment. Raising his bottle high, Yun called everyone in the room to attention. His speech was quite impaired at this point.

"Everyone...Everyone...a toast to the Sith. Long may we reign."

"To the Sith!" So was everyone else's...She mouthed the words. Carth was already taking a swallow to stop himself from having to say anything.

Kairi opened the bottle and took a small sip, but gagged on the sharp sour-bitter taste of it. She backed up so she was partly concealed by a potted plant. All but about two swallows went into poisoning the Alderaanian fern.

The night went on. The ale flowed. Many of the revelers went back home. Others were sleeping off the effects of Tarisian ale, draped in chairs and couches. At least four others - two men, two women - paired off and vanished. Yun barely let her out of his sight. His lust surged as the night went on. Kairi was using a lot more willpower than she liked to keep her head.

"Oh, come on, sweets. You didn't think I invited you here just for the ale, did you?" He pressed a panel and half-pulled them into the bedroom, startling a man and woman who'd already been taking advantage of the bed.

Yun's mood shifted abruptly, and that gave Kairi a bit more breathing room. At least she didn't have to fight him off for the moment.

"C'mon, Darien. Have a bit of class and take it out of my bed."

That startled them! The woman grabbed a sheet and belatedly wrapped it around herself. The man let out as volley of curses that would have made a Mandalorian blush. "Where's my uniform?"

"Just grab a shirt and trousers from my closet, and you can find it in the morning."

Acutely embarrassed, despite their highly inebriated state, the man and woman pulled on shirts from Yun's closet and staggered out of the room. Kairi glanced sideways as to not stare at them, and tried not to laugh. They'd tossed their uniforms out a window, one of them landing on the balcony's rail, another getting ensnared in the branches of a tree on the walkway below.

Yun flopped down on the bed, lying on his side. "Come on over here."

Kairi shuddered. Part of her was whispering to give in, to fall on that bed and just let him have his way. But that part was overridden by both disgust at him and a sense of panic that sounded too much like half-remembered warning klaxons.

She got onto the bed, her front to his back, and starting rubbing his shoulders. It was so hard to think. All she needed was a little bit of time.

"Sounds like an idea," he murmured. "My back is a little stiff. All the damn training..."

It didn't take long for the ale and Kairi's hands to coax Yun into a near-coma. Thank the Force! She listened carefully. The others were asleep as well, and dawn was starting to break.

She broke off a branch and knocked the female officer's uniform to the walkway below, and fished the male officer uniform from the balcony. Sneaking back into the living room, she saw most of the partygoers were sprawled out on the floor. Carth was sitting in a corner, eyes closed. She approached and reached for him, only to have his hand fly up and grab her wrist.

"Kairi? Where in hell?"

"Carth, you..."

"Ugh. That ale's worse than Jawa piss. At least Sarna's sleeping it off in the other room. There is nothing less attractive than a woman who doesn't know what 'too many' means. Where the hell were you?"

"Making sure Yun's also sleeping it off." She pulled open her pack, showing him the male officer's uniform. "Come on, we have to get out of here."

He got to his feet and they snuck out the door. Fortunately, it was still early, and the woman's uniform was right where it had dropped. Kairi stuffed them in her bag.

"Two Sith uniforms. Nice."

"I also hope these fit. I should think so, considering the sizes of their former owners."

"How did you? No, forget it. I don't think I want details on that. Come on, we'd better fill up on caffa and put these to use before the owners miss them."

They wore the light armor under the uniforms. In Carth's case, it made the uniform a bit small, but in Kairi's case, the added bulk was needed to make the uniform fit perfectly on her tiny frame. Shouldering an equipment pack, they made their way back through The Maze, and to the elevator.

"Another patrol going to the Lower City?" asked the guard. "Best of luck down there. The damn gangs shoot anything that moves." He opened the elevator and waved them through.

The doors sealed, and the lift descended. They'd made it through the first obstacles, but they were still a long way from finding Bastila.


	3. The Lower City

**Chapter 2**

**The Lower City**

The faded beauty of the Upper City was striking indeed when contrasted with the vicious and honest ugliness of the Lower one. The instant they set foot off the elevator, Kairi and Carth saw everything in its brutal glory - sparking wires, layers of grime on all surfaces, and graffiti in a half-dozen Basic and alien dialects. Trash piled in heaps and in plastisteel barrels where transients gathered by the light of a smoky fire. Bodily waste, bad alcohol, and things best unnamed hit them like a fist, causing them to gag until the shock wore off.

"Okay," Carth said. "We scratch this place off for shore leave."

Light barely filtered in - the translucent fountain bottoms from the streets above allowed a bit of hazy sunlight and trickles of chemical-smelling water. Jury-rigged glowrods and gas-filled signs gave off their own faint light, as did the brightly burning barrels of refuse.

No sooner had they walked out of sight of the elevator did they find themselves surrounded. Six toughs and the narrow alleyway blocked any escape routes. Before they could even reach their blasters, the leader pulled a shock stick - arcs of electricity coursing around the dull metal rod that comprised its "blade" like blue fire. Whipping around, he jabbed it into Kairi's side. Carth's blood froze when he heard her scream of pain. The quick strike left her dazed, glass-eyed and unresisting.

"You're in the wrong place, man. You're in Vulkar territory now."

"So what do we gotta do?" Carth said. "Use the secret handshake?"

He laughed. "Nice try, fellow, but you've got to pay a toll to us. We could just take your blasters and your credits."

The lead thug signaled to the pair that was blocking their escape. Kairi was still shaking off the effects of the stun, her movements groggy. An alien from some race Carth couldn't name and never would want to, big as a wall and ugly beyond description, yanked her away from Carth's reach, her blaster clattering to the floor.

"I think, though," said the leader. "That I'll give you a discount, seeing as you're Sith...I think I'll just have a roll with your woman. How 'bout it?"

Carth backed up towards one of the flaming barrels. Giving it a hefty kick, its contents vomited all over the street, blocking half the Vulkars, and creating a thick smoke screen. He drew his blaster, but couldn't see anything - the Vulkars couldn't either. His foot hit something. Slowly reaching down, he grabbed it - one of the Vulkars dropped a vibrosword.

He may not have been a melee expert, but he knew enough. The Republic soldiers had to learn how to handle blades since the Echani invented the energy shield, and the Sith started to mass produce them. Blaster in his left, sword in his right, he fought like a madman, slashing and blasting away at anything that stood between him and Kairi. As the hulk of an alien tried to flee with her, Carth charged and slammed the blade into its back. With a scream more animal than sentient, it fell, and Kairi narrowly avoided being pinned beneath its bulk as Carth wrenched her away.

Carth pulled them deeper into the Lower City, into a dark pit of an apartment, slicing into the lock so it sealed behind them. His skill was very limited, but it was enough. Breathing heavily, he listened for anyone that had followed. Thankfully, they'd given the Vulkars the slip.

Kairi was staring straight ahead, wobbling unsteadily. At least she was able to stand, and was somewhat conscious - good signs, at least.

"Kairi?"

As if startled awake, she cried out and threw her arms around him, holding him like a lifeline. Small wonder the ambush scared her out of her wits. She had been surrounded, outgunned, and threatened with rape. That shock stick must have also reminded her of what happened on the _Spire_, the plasma shock that damaged her mind. Hell, he was just glad to get away with their skins.

After a few moments, she snapped out of it. Her breathing went back to normal, and her unsteadiness passed. She pulled away from him. "I'm...I'm sorry."

He tried to make light of it. "Hey, pretty lady with her arms around me...you're not going to find me objecting."

Again, Kairi looked embarrassed. "They were on us so fast. I didn't have time to defend myself, to pull out my blaster. There were too many, and he was too strong...and that awful shock."

"They set up a hell of an ambush...Did he do anything to you?"

"He wanted to," Kairi said, grimacing. "There were such...things...he intended."

"Yeah, I know," he said. "I don't like killing, but guys like that I'm not sorry to say that I took them down. Rabid animals with the guise of sentience..."

Kairi pulled off the pack, undoing the top of the Sith uniform. "The uniforms are like a big 'shoot here' sign," she explained. "They may have got us down here, but if we're going to contact the Beks, we had better not be seen in these."

_Good to know she can snap out of it quickly,_ Carth thought._ Also good to know she can think like a soldier when times require it. All in all, I could have been stuck with a lot worse._

Without much in the way of propriety, they changed into the combat suits they purchased with the last of their supply credits. Combat suits were lightly armored - less than Carth was used to, but they were better than nothing, and Kairi had needed something that wouldn't impede her movement. They were also common among mercenaries, and being mistaken for a pair of small-time mercs would certainly draw less trouble than being mistaken for Sith officers.

Kairi saw the vibrosword and went to pick it up. Carth was about to tell her not to touch it, but her hand curled about it. She made an experimental swing with it.

"This isn't balanced right." She spun and did a thrusting maneuver, then brought it up to parry. "There's too much weight in the blade. A better quality grip and a vibration cell would correct that somewhat."

_She's been trained to fight with a sword, the way she's gripping that. The posture's right, too. Then again, she was traveling with the Jedi, and I've never seen one of those saber-swingers holding a blaster. Service Corps or one of their wash-outs, maybe? But it would be on the file if that were the case... _

Between this and the way she'd dispatched the bounty hunters two days ago, it was obvious she could hold her own in a fight, that there was more to her background than just a civilian translator.

_Something's been left out of the file, but what? And why? _Carth scowled in frustration. While the question bothered him, he wasn't going to get any answers now, and they had other problems to deal with.

"It's yours, if you want it," he said. "I'm not much for melee weapons, anyway."

She looked at him for the longest time, as if not sure she heard him correctly. "Thank you," she said, improvising a scabbard on her belt.

Uniforms in the pack, blaster and sword at the ready, lest they walk into another ambush, they started back into the Lower City. On what passed for the main "street" in this area, the gaudy lights and flickering lights of a cantina caught their attention. Outside, a bruiser of a Rodian was watching the people enter with a jaded and wary eye.

Two men - Twi'lek and a human in red and orange - Vulkar colors - shook their fists at an Ithorian and a Twi'lek woman in tan. Obviously, the ones in tan were Hidden Beks, judging from the posing and taunting the garishly-attired Vulkars were directing at them. The Rodian stepped in the middle.

Kairi again translated for Carth.

_"You know this is neutral ground. We all armed in this cantina -we all polite in this cantina. Javyar says keep your rivalry outside this door unless you want your gangs to be banned from this place!"_

_"You lucky you still have Javyar's to hide in, Beks. Otherwise, we kill you where you stand,_" said the Twi'lek man.

_"Stupid Vulkars,"_ the woman retorted. _"Talk and fight, but no honor or brains. Just wait until the swoop races. Then we'll see..."_

All four of them went inside. Carth motioned to Kairi. "It's as good a place as any to approach them, maybe find out about their plans and maybe ask for their help. Come on."

"Well, well...well..." the voice called over their shoulder. "Thought you could ditch us? Nice try."

Carth and Kairi saw them - the Vulkar leader from earlier had called in backup.

This time, though, they were ready for them. Carth's blasters came out, nailing the largest in the forehead. He went down. Kairi's blade struck quickly, slicing through the leader's arm as he made a jab with the shock stick. The stick clattered uselessly to the ground, along with his right hand. He howled and reached for a blaster. Before he could, she ran him through. He went down in a bloodied heap when she pulled her sword from his gut. The surviving pair, sensing that these strangers were more than they could handle with even numbers, ran back into the shadows

Kairi looked at the sword, then to the fallen Vulkar. The sword was indeed a better fit to her hand than the blaster. It hadn't even been a thought as to how to strike with it. Her body remembered what her mind could not, even with this crude blade.

Grimly, they looted the remains of their would-be killers. The Rodian bouncer had seen the fracas, but made no comment as he waved them through the door.

The cantina was certainly colorful. A Bith band called the "Twisted Rancor Trio" was jazzing it up in one of the three back rooms, accompanied by three scantily-clad and sinewy Twi'lek dancing girls. A Rodian near the door was shouting filthy jokes to the amusement of his drinking buddies. In another back room was a flickering sign in Basic that read "Bounty Office." A relatively small-sized Hutt was reclining on a sofa, reading a datapad and discussing probable bounties with a seedy-looking Twi'lek.

Sitting at the entrance of the Bounty Office with his back to the wall, a short and stocky human man finished off a glass of ale. He was dressed strangely - even for the Lower City. Under his black tunic and trousers, he wore expensive-looking armor. A long, blue and tan jacket was over the top of that. An odd-looking white cowl covered most of his face and marksman's goggles covered his eyes. A Twi'lek and Rodian in Vulkar colors walked up to his table. The strange-looking man didn't look up. His voice had no inflection. "Go away"

_"Hey, you not talk like that,"_ The Rodian was taunting him. _"We just want to say hello to the big, bad bounty hunter Calo Nord!"_

_"Nah, this isn't Calo Nord," _the Twi'lek said with a laugh._ "Calo Nord said to be big and tough. This guy is just a runt!"_

"One."

The Rodian was smiling._ "What that mean? You try to be funny?"_

_"We're Black Vulkars - we don't like runts getting funny with us!"_

"Two."

_"Yeah, two of us - one of you. What do you think of those odds, little man?"_

"Three."

In a single, fluid motion that didn't last more than an eye-blink, Calo Nord stood up, drew a blaster from a holster from each side, and shot the two Vulkars dead before they had a moment to see it coming. Casually replacing his blasters afterward, he placed a credit chip on the table and started out the door. Seeing Kairi and Carth in his way, he glowered at them.

"One."

The pair of them quickly moved out of his path.

Still no break in his monotone voice. "Smart." The bounty hunter walked out of the cantina, vanishing into the Lower City.

Kairi shuddered.

A Rutian Twi'lek girl sat in one of the booths that lined the room on either side of the Pazaak dealers, a small electronic gadget in her hands. Taking out a small box from the inside of her jacket, she took out one of the smaller tools and started to make adjustments to it, nearly oblivious to anything else, including the two Rodians that came up behind her.

_"Hey, little girl. We not finish our conversation with you!"_

Pushing the gadget aside, she got up from her chair, standing akimbo. "No. Conversation is OVER. I told you to back off, bug-eye. Your breath smells like bantha poo-doo."

_"Little girl not too bright,"_ said the second one. _"Little girl should know better than to talk back to us. If little girl smart, she run home right now."_

"Little girl, huh?"

_"This no place for a girl on her own. Little girl could be talking to slavers - we hear that there big market for pretty Twi'lek girl..."_

"Listen here, Chuba-face, you are NOT going to take me to see Davik or anyone else. Back off!"

_"Little girl needs lesson in manners! Twi'lek females should know what they're good for..."_

She held up her hand. "One moment, boys." She looked over to a table in the shadows. "Zaalbar, a little help here?"

Into view, stepped a large, brown-furred Wookiee. _"What is it now, Mission? I just started eating!"_

"C'mon, you can finish that later. Besides, you could use the workout. I need a little help tearing the legs off some insects."

_"We no want trouble with Wookiee. We just got problem with you knowing your place, little girl!"_

She shrugged, tossing a blue head tail over her shoulder. "Sorry, but if you've got a problem with me, you have a problem with Big Z and vice versa. So, unless you want to take on both of us, I suggest you greenies hop on outta here."

One of them looked almost ready to continue pressing the issue, but the other looked sourly at the Wookiee and back to his friend._ "Little girl lucky she got big friend!"_

The sleazy Rodians left to find other amusement. She looked up at Zaalbar. "Sorry, Big Z - those guys had it in their little green heads that all a Twi'lek's good for is dancing on tables."

Kairi took a step towards them, only to almost smack into the Wookiee's chest.

_"Don't bother us."_

"It's okay, Big Z." The Twi'lek girl shrugged. "Sorry about that. Wookiees aren't much for conversation - especially with people they don't know. Say, I don't recognize you, and I know just about everyone in the Lower City. You new here - grounded by the quarantine?"

"How'd you guess?" Kairi said. "But you prefer to speak Basic?"

Mission shrugged. "Grew up here. I just got used to the native tongue."

"You showed a lot of guts, kid." Carth said. "Telling those guys to back off. You got a name?"

"My name's Mission Vao," she said. "The big guy's my best friend Zaalbar. I'd offer to give you a tour, but with Brejik and his Vulkars shooting everything in sight, it's not safe. If there's anything else you need, though...Well, don't just stand there, have a seat!"

****

Zaalbar sat at the edge of the booth, his hairy bulk too big for the chairs. He ate his stew in silence and let Mission do the talking. It was apparently a long-standing arrangement. Mission's friendly demeanor certainly could be infectious. Kairi and Carth found themselves relaxing for the first time since they landed on Taris.

"How did a Wookiee and a Twi'lek street urchin become best friends?" Kairi asked.

"We kinda fell in together," Mission explained. "I took care of myself before he came along, but there's safety in numbers. Everyone in the Lower City likes to push you around if you're on your own."

"So we noticed," said Carth. "Still, you do seem like an odd pair."

"When I met up with Zaalbar, it seemed like a good match. We look out for each other - my street smarts and his muscle. We're a great team."

"We have questions about the Lower City," Kairi said.

Her sunny smile broadened. "Sure you do, and you've come to the right place. Lived here almost my whole life and have heard it all - Davik, the gangs...even Calo Nord!"

"We were told to find the Hidden Beks," Carth said. "Can you help us?"

"Help you? Well, seeing the way you nailed those Vulkars outside, I'd be surprised if Gadon doesn't try to recruit you! Big Z and I hang out at the Bek base sometimes. Gadon's a great guy, and an incredible leader, even after he lost his sight in a swoop accident a couple years ago." She scowled. "Which is why that traitor Brejik and the Vulkars make me so mad! Gadon considered that ungrateful space-slug his adoptive son, but after the accident, Gadon told him he still wasn't ready to take leadership."

"I don't imagine that made him happy," Kairi said.

"Worse - that Hutt-spawn jumps ship to the Vulkars and incites this gang war - shooting and looting anything that moves - it's as if he and the Vulkars just went nuts."

"'We've...we've heard that Gadon's no friend of the Sith," Carth ventured. "Anything to that rumor?"

"Aside from it's one of the biggest understatements I've ever heard," Mission replied. "Mind you, I don't like them, either. I may not know a whole lot about that's going on outside of Taris, but I've heard enough. Don't imagine you're fans of them, either, considering the quarantine."

Eager to change the subject, Kairi asked. "We've heard of a fellow named Davik. He's a crime lord here, right?"

"A crime lord? The man's a high roller with the Exchange and practically owns Taris! Of course, the latest news is that he's got himself a ship for his smuggling that's fast enough to break the Sith blockade - the_ Ebon Hawk_, it's called. I don't know much about space travel, though, and what I know of that ship's from second hand rumor."

"Where would Davik keep a ship like that?" Carth asked. "Do you know?"

"Locked up tight on his estate, I'd imagine," Mission said with a shrug. "What, you thinking of stealing it? Anyway, no one gets onto his estate unless they're working for him. As for his security...Well, he's just hired on Nord, and that guy's killed more people than the Iridian plague! I've seen him kill people just for trying to start a conversation." Mission took another sip of her juice. "Of course, the Mandalorian he's got on payroll is friendlier...not by much."

Carth let out a low whistle. "Mandalorian, you say?"

"Yup. He leaves me alone, and I leave him alone. He's a big guy. Gray hair, lots of scars, and carries this cannon about as big as I am. He's pretty hard to miss. You'll probably run into him sooner or later in this neighborhood..."

Unknown to them, they were being watched, and had been since their descent into the Lower City. He pretended to nonchalantly drink his ale and stare at nothing, but he was not a man who let his caution or observation slip - not even for a second. He had been a warrior far too long for such foolishness.

They weren't Sith - he could tell that much. They may have ducked past that lazy guard with stolen uniforms, but Sith weren't smart enough to run or improvise during combat. Not the average trooper, anyway. He tried to decide if they were mercenaries...perhaps the woman was. Even if she had been taken down by the shock stick earlier, she made up for it in the following battle. She was also too good with a vibroblade - and that sent up an alert in his mind.

Perhaps she was Echani? Well, it would suit her...a small, dark woman who preferred close combat and light, sturdy weapons. The higher castes had pale skin and white hair to go with their equally colorless poetry about battle, and they tried to keep their combat knowledge to themselves. Still, it occasionally leaked down to a member of the darker-completed lower castes, and half-breeds were so disdained, they ended up learning to fight anyway. Something about her fighting style seemed a bit too direct to be Echani, though. He would have to watch her more to learn anything further.

The man she traveled with was obviously Republic - likely a soldier in their fleet pretending to be a mercenary. With his heavily-modified blaster and talent for making use of his surroundings, he almost passed for a mercenary...at least to a casual observer.

The iron-eyed man at the table was no casual observer. He decided he would watch them...see if they were a threat...or maybe a new pair of allies.

The sound of his comlink interrupted him from his thoughts. He pressed the button to activate it. "Yeah, what do you want?"

"Just a simple shake-down. Track eight in this sector."

Inwardly, he groaned. He wasn't getting paid enough for this garbage. Hell, there weren't enough credits in the galaxy to make this idiot drudgery on a backwater planet worth it. Still, employment was employment...

"I'm coming." Shouldering his custom-made blaster cannon, he finished his ale, gave his tab to the droid waiter, and walked back out of the cantina.

****

The directions Mission gave them led down a series of streets little more than wide alleys. By the shielded door, a human woman in Bek tans stood by the door, obviously a sentry.

"You can't just walk in here!" she blocked the door with one arm, the other going to her holster. A promising sign was that she wasn't drawing it...yet. "How do I know you aren't from the Vulkars or worse trying to kill Gadon?"

"I was told to speak to him," Kairi said. "He may be able to help."

"Lots of people want to speak to him, but between the Vulkars and the Sith, he's got more enemies than he used to."

"Maybe we could be allies against those enemies," Kairi offered.

Uncertainty warred on the woman's face. "I suppose you might. I heard about a couple of newcomers taking out a half-dozen of those Vulkars, and you fit the description. You two certainly don't act like Sith, either. Besides, there's not much you could do against Gadon in his own base." She hit the door controls. "All right, go on in."

The Bek base was carved out of what might have been the ruins of an office building before the Upper City was landed atop it. The gang had the same racial composition as the rest of the Lower City - mostly humans and Twi'leks with the odd Duros or Ithorian. Most were cautious, all were armed.

The guard escorted them to a makeshift alcove of storage crates that walled off a portion of the main room. A middle-aged human man and a Twi'lek woman were standing over a desk, discussing some matter when the guard cleared her throat.

"Gadon, two outsiders. They're interested in signing up, it sounds like."

The woman looked up, snapping at the guard. "Zoë, I can't believe you let two strangers just walk in! They could be spies!"

Gadon held out his hand. "Calm down, Zaerdra. No one's going to try anything here in our own base. It would be a suicide mission."

The Twi'lek woman glowered at Kairi and Carth, hostility radiating from her like heat from a sun. "You're too trusting. Brejik and his Vulkars want you dead. Any stranger is a potential threat, and it's my job to make sure you're safe."

"So we attack any stranger that comes along on sight? And how does this make us any better than Vulkars? I'll never let it come to that. Let them speak."

"As you wish." Zaerdra said, taking a step back so they could address Gadon. "But try anything, and I'll have you both killed before you can say 'Vulkar spy!'"

"I apologize. Since my accident, Zaerdra's been a little overzealous in her security duties. Can't blame her, though." He looked pointedly in her direction. "She seems to forget that I still can take care of myself." His eyes had been replaced by implants - making his eyes solid silver. Those kinds of implants were outmoded technology, able to allow the user to see a shape in front of him, but not much past that. "So, you're here. Why?"

"We rescued a prisoner from a Sith interrogation," Kairi said. "He told us to seek you out."

"We're looking for information about the escape pods that crashed in the Undercity," Carth elaborated. "Someone we know may have been on one of those pods."

Gadon looked them over. "You two certainly aren't Sith, and if you were Vulkars, we'd be dumping your corpses about now. Guess you might be Republic yourselves or at least mercs friendly to the cause."

"They still could be spies, Gadon," Zaerdra warned. "Vulkar, Sith...maybe even Davik."

"If the Sith thought we knew anything, they'd have a whole battalion kicking down our doors, and Davik would just send in his bounty-hunters. No, these two have their own agenda."

"We heard about your problems with the Sith," Carth said, hoping that assuaged the angry woman. "Believe me, we've got our problems with them, too."

Gadon banged his fist against the table in frustration "You had better believe I have problems with the Sith. They invade, declare martial law, and quarantine the planet? Then they have the gall to strut around down here and hassle anyone they like? Damn well bet I've a problem with that. The gangs could unite against them like we did against the Mandalorians. Guerilla tactics, urban warfare. The casualties might make those tin-plated bastards think twice."

"Don't fool yourself." Carth shook his head. It was a good idea, but they didn't know what the Sith were capable of. "I've seen what they can do, and it would probably be something much more grand and deadly."

"I hope they won't," Gadon said gravely. "I've tried to explain this to Brejik, that the Sith are the real enemy here. He insists on dividing our energy with this foolish gang war and having his Vulkar thugs shoot everyone in sight."

"We will do anything we can do to help," Kairi told him. "Against the Sith or the Vulkars, but we do need any information you have."

Gadon smiled. "What I know can't do much harm to the Beks, but it certainly could make life difficult for the Vulkars. Might even hurt the Sith...either way, it's okay in my book. The Vulkars stripped those pods already. You won't find anything of value left. They already took a hostage, too - a female Republic officer named Bastila. Now, Beks don't get involved in the slave trade, but the Vulkars don't have a problem with it."

Kairi and Carth looked at each other, realizing what their meant. The situation just became that much more difficult.

"Normally, the Vulkars would sell her to Davik or some Hutt, but a Republic officer isn't an ordinary catch."

"Well, if they think Bastila's just a Republic officer, that could work to our advantage," Carth muttered to himself. Louder, he added. "She might even figure out an escape on her own."

"Unfortunately, I know Brejik," Gadon said. "He won't trust his men around her. No, chances are that she's hidden away until the swoop race in a week."

"Swoop race?" Kairi asked.

"He's offered her up as the Vulkar share of the prize in the season opener. She's become a pawn on Brejik's petty scheme to take over the Lower City. By offering such a valuable prize, he hopes to attract some of the smaller gangs to his banner and finally..." Gadon dropped his voice. "Finally destroy anyone who stands against him - starting with us."

"Well, we can't fight all the gangs," Carth asked. "So, how would we go about rescuing her?"

"The only way I can think of?" Gadon shrugged. "Win the season opener of the big swoop race."

"Swoop race? Win a swoop race?" Carth's jaw almost hit the floor. Kairi held up her hand.

"I'm listening," Kairi said. "Can you help us with this?"

"I'll help you if you help me. We've got a lot to lose here...and much to gain."

"Go on."

"The Vulkars stole a prototype swoop accelerator from us. With that installed, it can beat any swoop on the tracks. If you can break into their base and steal it back, then I'll sponsor you as a rider for the Beks. You win the race; you win your friend's freedom."

"Sounds dicey to me," Carth grumbled.

"It's an interesting plan," Kairi said, ignoring him for the time being. "But I don't think I can use the front door."

"You'd be right. Fortunately, I know someone who can probably sneak you in the back - Mission Vao."

"Mission?" Zaerdra crossed her arms. "Gadon, she's just a kid. You can't be serious!"

"I've met her," Kairi said. "A blue Twi'lek girl...travels with a Wookiee?"

"With a smart mouth and fast blaster," Gadon finished. "Yes, she's easy enough to find, and if you find her, you'll find Zaalbar. Two of them are inseparable. "That kid knows every back alley, crawlspace, and secret passage in the Lower City and the Undercity sewers. If anyone can sneak you inside, it's her."

"She's the one who gave me directions."

"Figures," Gadon said. "Now, if you want to meet up with her, she's usually exploring. Try starting in the Undercity. She's friends with the Outcasts down there, and tends to go looking for excitement."

"I also hear that you collect Sith uniforms," Kairi said with a smile, taking off her pack. Inside were the Sith uniforms she stole from the party.

Gadon grinned. "I won't ask questions, and I have just the thing to trade for those. They'll certainly send down a pair of mercs if they have proper papers..."

****

After trading their Sith uniforms to Gadon for a set of official tracker papers, they were off again, heading for the Undercity elevator at the far edge of this sector.

"I don't like this. First Sith, and now we're working with gangs?" Carth argued.

She looked pointedly at him. "Have you a better idea? You've said it yourself, Carth. We are on an unfamiliar, Sith-occupied planet with few allies."

He opened his mouth to protest, but sighed. "Still doesn't mean that this is a good idea."

"If you haven't been paying attention, you'll notice that there is barely any law above, and a complete failure of it here. The Hidden Beks may be a gang, but you saw how they were organized and what others have said about them. Under any other circumstances, they would be called a militia. Gadon gave us very valuable information regarding Bastila's whereabouts."

"For all we know, he's just sending us out to assassinate the other gang."

"Then we fight that rancor when it shows up, but the other thing you should notice; neither the Duros at our apartment or Mission were wearing Bek tans or any of their symbols."

"Wait a minute, Kairi. Just how did you rope me in with this? You couldn't even recall your own name – assuming you're telling the truth about that!"

She froze, shuddering. "Carth, I…I don't recall anything. I still don't. I may not remember anything prior to waking up in the apartment, but you were right about my skills being intact."

"Sister, nothing in your files said a damn thing about you being a melee expert with that vibroblade, or about being some kind of intelligence operative, but you sure as hell carry yourself like –" He stopped himself. "But it's not like I'd put it past the Jedi, and a diplomatic aide certainly would fit."

"Carth?"

"Guess you're right. I don't have any better ideas. Sooner we find Bastila, the better off we'll all be."

Passing Track Eight, they saw a smarmy looking enforcer fold his arms while addressing two Vulkars.

"You Vulkars haven't been making your payments. What, you think that since you're in some gang that you don't have to pay your dues?"

_"I don't see Davik doing anything for his share. We do the work. Let's see the big shot crime lord take it from us."_

The enforcer shook his head and laughed. "All right, boys, have it your way."

Whistling sharply, he nodded towards the shadows. Emerging from them was a tank of a man - nearly two meters tall, broad-shouldered and barrel-chested. In his massive arms, he carried a blaster cannon almost as large as Kairi was tall. His square-jawed face boasted several scars and his iron-colored hair was cut in a short, military style.

"Mission wasn't kidding!" Carth said. "I've never seen ANYONE that fit the textbook definition of 'Mandalorian' like he does."

The Vulkar with the loud mouth suddenly became contrite. _"Oh, hey, Canderous...Didn't know you were working for Davik now. We don't want trouble with a Mandalorian. We were just...goofing around. Here's Davik's cut."_

The enforcer snatched the credits. "Pleasure doing business with you boys. Now, get out of here."

The Vulkars wisely fled the scene. The large man they called "Canderous" put his blaster back in its sling. "Too bad, I was looking forward to cracking their heads"

"Maybe next time," the enforcer said. "In the meantime, I need to turn this in. I'll call you the next time someone else needs persuasion."

The enforcer vanished into the twisted maze, leaving Canderous leaning against the wall. Carth kept his distance, but Kairi decided to risk meeting him.

He cracked open an eye that was the same gray as his hair. "Those Vulkars are dumber than a Coruscant granite-slug. They actually think that being part of that pathetic little gang of theirs makes them important. Gadon can at least keep the Beks in line, but Brejik's getting delusions of grandeur." He made a small noise of contempt. "If Davik's smart, he'll slap that punk back down."

Kairi cocked her head, looking up at him. "Who are you?"

"I'm someone you don't want to get on the bad side of, and I'm not one for small talk." Checking his chronometer, he grumbled something under his breath. "I haven't got time to stick around here, anyway. Davik's got more busy work for me."

Canderous adjusted his gun sling and followed the same path the enforcer had used earlier.

"Last time I was that close to a Mandalorian," Carth said. "I had to put a blaster shot between his eyes. Trust me when I say that this Canderous fellow is actually on the friendly side."

"He's also lonely and horribly bored," Kairi said. "This is hell for him."

Carth raised his eyebrows in surprise. "He's a well-paid thug. You actually feel sorry for him?"

"As I said, he's lonely and bored. Couldn't you tell?"

"No, no. I couldn't."

Kairi frowned. Maybe it was best to drop that subject. "Let's see if these papers do the trick."

Canderous hadn't gone too far, just far enough to let them think he had gone. So, they were heading for the Undercity? Well, they were insane or foolish - and not worth his time either way. Shaking his head, he headed off towards his parked speeder and Davik's estate. Maybe the boss had some interesting work for a change. More likely, he didn't.

****

It was along walk to the elevator, through debris-strewn streets. They managed to scare off at least one Vulkar patrol before any blood got shed, thankfully. Searches of the rubble yielded a few useful things - a couple power cells for Carth's blaster with most of the charge intact, the odd credit chip, and a datapad with a map of this sector. After a while of walking in silence, Kairi looked behind her.

"Is this a good time to ask you some more questions, Carth?"

He smiled broadly, opening his arms. "I'm all ears, beautiful."

Kairi could tell he was using flattery as a distraction. His smile was only a mask, concealing his usual suspicion and more than a bit of annoyance, but she felt her cheeks getting a little warm anyway. She looked away for a moment.

He laughed at seeing the blush on her face. "Didn't mean anything by it. I mean, not to say you're not..." Carth pushed a frayed wire aside. "Watch it."

Kairi ducked the wire. "You're trying to distract me, aren't you?"

He shrugged, and the mask dropped. "Maybe I'm just avoiding your questions."

"I won't ask if you have a problem with me asking," she said. "I'm just sorry that I can't tell you more about me. You have all these -" She almost said "suspicions," but opted for diplomacy. "Questions about me. If I could answer them, I would. I know it doesn't make you feel any better, though."

He stepped in front of her, stopping and blocking her path. "Are the questions really necessary?"

She folded her arms loosely and shrugged. "You've saved my life at least twice, and even though you're clearly apprehensive about traveling with me, you still stay."

"Well, if it's an interrogation you wanted..." His tone was light, but she could feel something underneath it. He was throwing up walls, and she didn't like that one bit.

"Why are you getting testy?" Kairi folded her arms and looked up at him.

"Beautiful, I don't get testy, I get angry. And if I was, you wouldn't have to ask if I was, let me assure you." He paused for a moment before venturing a question of his own. "Let me ask you something first. I've been going through the attack on the _Endar Spire_ over and over in my head since we crashed. Some things...they don't add up for me."

"Such as?"

"Well, maybe you can tell me what happened...from your perspective. I know you might not recall much, but..."

"I remember...a little bit," Kairi said. "I was asleep in my bunk when it started - not the best place to know what was going on."

"I wasn't in the best place to know what was going on, either. I was on board as an advisor for the most part. The battle just happened so fast, it's anyone's guess, probably." He looked upward. "We lost the ship and a lot of good people for what? The hope that some Jedi's powers would save us, somehow? Not like Bastila had a chance to act."

"Perhaps she was caught off-guard like we were."

"We didn't choose that battle, Kairi. It was forced on us. Hell, I'm just shocked that we're alive to talk about it!" Carth seemed to be mulling something over, choosing his next words carefully. "Come to think of it, it's more than a little surprising that you happen to be here. According to the file, you're a translator, but why would Bastila bring one aboard? Why not a protocol droid or a computer? And the Sith speak Basic. Why would she be hiring on a translator?"

"Not this again. I've told you nothing but the truth since we met, Carth." Her dark eyes narrowed. "Come out and say it."

"Isn't it strange that a civilian translator, added to the roster at the last minute, just happens to survive the attack - especially in light of the _other_ skills you have that weren't put on the file?"

Kairi did not like what he was implying - not one bit. How could he even start in with this? "What was odd about me being hired at the last minute?"

"You were the only one. That and Bastila herself requested the transfer."

Kairi shook her head. "Why would she?"

"Those Jedi requested a lot of things. Hell, they practically took over the ship. But you were the only one with Bastila's party that wasn't either a Jedi or on long-term assignment assisting their Council. Whether you know it or not, your presence here seems a little convenient."

Kairi didn't answer that, but she was just as perplexed as Carth.

"Look," he assured her. "I'm probably wrong, and this might be nothing, I know. Still, I learned not to take things at face value, and I hate to be surprised."

"You realize we're on the same side, right?" she said. "And I'm not lying to you - I really don't know anything that could -"

He sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, Kairi. It doesn't have anything to do with you, personally. I just don't trust anyone...I can't afford to."

She unfolded her arms, shaking her head. If she had more information, she would tell him. Why was it so hard for him to believe her? "Carth..."

"Please, can we keep our mind on the important things, like finding Bastila and getting off this rock?"

She wasn't interested in trying to investigate a past she couldn't remember, had no answers for either of them, and didn't she want to stare into the void at the moment. She let him off the hook - for now. "Let's do that."

"Good. I prefer action anyway."

She could sense his gratitude for dropping the subject. Just what had happened to him anyway?

The acid test came at the end of the track. A uniformed Sith guard took the papers and read them over. "Figures that the commander would finally send some mercs down there and stop wasting troops. We've lost three patrols already to the rakghouls. Also, we've heard of some Gammoreans taking up residence down there." He grumbled more to himself than anything as he searched their papers. "Why we didn't blast this planet from the sky rather than trying to occupy it, I have no idea..."

Carth and Kairi looked at each other. Hopefully, they would at least have a good reason to be risking their necks in the lowest pit of this "wonderful" planet.

The guard handed the papers back to them. "Pardon me if I don't wish you luck."


	4. The Undercity

**Chapter 3**

**The Under City**

The doors opened and two young humans dressed in rags blocked the way out. "You there, up-world! This is our village - our elevator. Anyone using it has to pay the toll!"

"I can't believe this planet." Carth threw up his hands in frustration. "Even the beggars here are trying to shake us down."

The beggar suddenly seemed contrite. "We're Outcasts, banished here by those who dwell above. Here in this terrible place we have to struggle constantly, scavenging and begging to just survive."

Kairi looked around. The Undercity was indeed a horrible place - no sunlight, and the darkness was oppressive. Still, there were signs of care that the Lower City lacked. Trash had been removed, and scrap had been used to fashion lampposts. Tents were fashioned of the same crazy-quilt manner, incorporating anything from starship scrap to worn blankets and disintegrating hides.

Kairi pulled a credit chip out of her pocket. "Here are ten credits. It's what I can afford."

His eyes lit up. "Credits, brother. We can get food and medicine!"

The other looked at him skeptically. "They're up-world people. You're going to settle for ten credits? They have more than that, I'm sure..."

Just as Kairi and Carth were reaching for their weapons, hoping that the beggar wouldn't try anything dumb, a woman ran up. "You two again. Get out of here! Out!"

The pair scurried off, vanishing into the village. The woman watched them leave, shaking her head. "I'm sorry about that. Those two...they give us all a bad name. We aren't all like that, you know. Most of us are good people."

"I'm sure you are, miss. Too bad your little 'welcoming committee' is there to give off a bad first impression," Carth said. "The name's Carth, and her name is Kairi."

She extended her hand. "I'm Shaleena...you...you're from the up-world?"

"Off-planet, actually," Kairi said. "Have there been many up-worlders that come here?"

Shaleena nodded. "Many more these days. This is where the up-world lawmakers exile people if they have committed a crime. It's either that or people who were born here - like me. I have never seen the surface. Is it truly so beautiful?"

"Well, it's nothing special," Carth said. "Most of the people up there have ugly spirits."

"It may not be special to you, but I can only dream about it...the sun and the sky. It sounds so wonderful, but why should I talk of it? The Undercity is all I will ever know." She hung her head. "Gendar tells me I should work to help the village and spend less time listening to Rukil's stories - maybe he's right."

"Gendar?" asked Kairi. "Who is he? And who's Rukil?"

Shaleena smiled. "Gendar is leader of our village, and Rukil...well, he is just an old man. He's over a hundred years old. Rukil-Wrinkle-Skin, the children call him. Rukil likes to tell stories about the surface, and the Promised Land. Most pay him no heed, but he is a kind man, and listening to him makes things less...sad for me."

"What's this 'Promised Land?'" asked Kairi.

"Just an old story, it makes the little children smile. Rukil believes it, though. Sometimes, I think I can believe in it myself until I look around and see the ugly truth." Shaleena looked up as if hoping to see any kind of glimpse of the surface. "Rukil would be glad to tell you the stories if you ask."

Carth brought the conversation back. "Do you know anything about some escape pods that crashed down here?"

"No. Maybe Gendar does, but I don't. I will take you to him, if you like."

Kairi and Carth nodded, and Saleena motioned for them to follow.

The Village may have been a dumping ground for Taris, but it was also a strong testimony to the strength of will its citizens possessed. What had at first seemed like random huts and scrap was soon recognized as having organization, grouped around communal resources like wells and power generators that provided heat and light in the cold and sunless place. There was little waste, as anything that could be used or repaired was pressed to service. There were even Outcasts set to work cleaning the walkways. Life was harsh here, but the hard work of the citizens made it better than it could have been.

Gendar's hut was just like any other hovel in the village. It said quite a lot about the man who lived there. He was sitting on the floor with three others, finishing a discussion regarding supplies when Shaleena escorted them in. The other three left before Shaleena spoke.

"Gendar, these are up-worlders. I told them that you might be able to help."

Gendar rubbed his bearded chin. "I find it strange that so many up-worlders have come through here recently, though none have stopped to ask us for anything before. Why have you come to this dark and sunless place?"

Kairi stepped forward. "My name is Kairi. We've heard about some escape pods that crashed down here. We have reason to believe that our friend might have been on one of those pods."

"Ah, yes, those." Gendar said with a nod. "You aren't the only ones interested - swoop gangs, mercenaries, armored soldiers...they've all passed through here looking for those. If your friend was on those pods, she has already been found by one of those factions."

"Well, that confirms it," Carth said. "Tell me, Gendar, we were told to look out for a Twi'lek girl - Mission Vao."

"Ah, yes, Mission. She and Zaalbar often pass through here - trading or sending us news from above. Quite a brave child - and one of the few who dare to leave the village gates."

"The rakghouls are real, then?" Kairi asked. "We spoke with a doctor in Upper Taris who was working on a cure."

"So Zelka still lives? Good enough news, I suppose. Yes, they are real. Unfortunately, we know of no cure - the beasts prey on this village, and anyone infected must be banished because they will soon become monsters themselves."

"Is this why you live in this village, protection?" Kairi asked.

"That, and to share what little we have. Outcasts are those who were shunned by the surface for our crimes - real or imagined. Even our descendants are doomed to this fate. My grandfather was the first leader of this village, banished here by the Great War. When he passed on, my father took leadership, and after he died, I became leader."

"Great War?"

Gendar shook his head. "No one will speak of it, save Rukil. It isn't a subject we discuss, sorry. Just know that many of us have been here for generations. Much of the time, no one comes here but others the Upper City rulers have banished."

"No offense," Carth said. "But I can see why."

Kairi was about to scold him for being so gauche, but Gendar held up his hand. "If you are searching for Mission, she was here only a few hours ago, but I would advise you to travel armed. Once you leave this sanctuary, you'll be alone against the rakghouls...and worse."

"Thank you," said Kairi. "We will return soon."

They passed through the village on the way to the main gate, enduring the halted conversations and stares of the natives. Kairi stopped to talk with some Outcast women about what they had seen and heard over the last few days. Carth stayed back, thinking more about what was outside the gate. None of this sounded promising. Then, there was the mysterious Kairi herself. He reluctantly conceded that she was probably telling the truth. If that were the case, there were no answers to be had even if she wanted to give them, and too much that wasn't adding up.

An old man's voice reached his ears, barely more than a whisper, but perfectly clear. "Greetings, up-worlder. Come inside, I have many answers to your questions and you may hold the answers to a few of mine."

Carth would never know what prompted him to turn away from Kairi and follow the voice. Pushing aside a tattered covering, he walked into a hovel partially dug out from the surface. A low fire and two lanterns provided enough light to see by, and the only occupant of the hovel was an ancient-looking man whose eyes and gait suggested someone much younger than his wizened face.

"You," she said with a whisper. "Yes, the male up-worlder that I have heard so much of. Is it the time of destiny, then? Can it really be time for our salvation...or is this yet another false hope."

_Careful, this guy's just nuts enough to be dangerous._ Carth thought. Still, something about the old man's eyes seemed to pull him closer. "Who are you?"

"I'm called Rukil...Rukil the Mad, Rukil the Elder, or Rukil Wrinkle-Skin. Please speak - what fate are you to bring to us?"

"Fate?" He suddenly felt very unsteady, afraid to move.

"You are uncertain, perplexed...and so much has been hidden from you." Rukil afforded him a gentle smile. "Ah, but I become confused myself sometimes, even after a hundred years of life. I wonder if you would be the one to aid me, though. Yes...yes...I think I see it now. You and the woman - the ones I've long waited for..."

"Carth?" Kairi was calling for him.

"Down here."

The covering was pushed aside and Kairi walked down the set of crude stairs. Rukil's eyes lit up. "Yes! I do see you...will you doom us or save us, I wonder?"

Kairi looked at Carth, but he had no answers to give her.

"Rukil?" Kairi asked.

"Yes," he said. "I hear you are venturing outside the gates. My apprentice vanished when she left this sanctuary three days ago, searching for the fabled map, but I fear she is gone, along with the people's last hope."

"Fabled map? Is it the map to the Promised Land?" Kairi asked.

Rukil seemed to weigh the possibilities before answering. "I...I cannot tell you. Not until you can prove yourself worthy of knowing."

"Let's get out of here," Carth said warily. Again, Kairi ignored him.

"Find Malya, my apprentice, and tell me of her fate. Then, I will be able to tell you."

"You believe that crazy old man?" Carth whispered.

Kairi shrugged. Nodding to Rukil, she said. "I'll look while I'm out there."

She left the tent, walking ahead. As Carth went to follow, he heard Rukil speak.

"Stay behind, young man."

It wasn't so much the words as the way he said it. Carth froze, slowly turning to see into eyes that seemed to strip him bare and look directly into his heart.

"What I will say is for your ears - not the woman's."

"Okay." No other sound seemed to make it in the tent - just them and the fire. Carth swore he could hear his heart pounding in his chest.

"I can see the armor you have pulled around yourself, the pain that will drive you to your madness and death."

"You don't know...you...you can't know..."

Rukil's voice was steady. "I know what I see - those wounds on your soul. Rather than allowing yourself to heal, those wounds fester. A soul can die, too."

"Why do you care?" First Kairi's questions, now this lunatic's rants; why couldn't he just be left alone?

"I will not be here to see your fates. I can only see that it threatens to destroy you both. This destiny...you will face it together, or not at all. You must let her save you, because it will save her."

"You're talking nonsense!"

Rukil was unshaken. "You already know if it's the truth or not, Carth. Now, go."

"What did he say?" Kairi asked once Carth emerged from the tent.

"Nothing much," Carth said. "Come on."

The more Carth thought about Rukil's words, one thing stood out the most. He never told the old man his name.

A great commotion could be heard at the gates. Kairi and Carth rushed over, sword and blasters drawn. At the center of it were the gate guard and a pleading young woman. "You've got to let him in! They'll kill him!"

The guard blocked her way to the gate controls. "And if I let him in, Hester, the rakghouls will kill us all!"

"He'll make it, I know he will!" She gripped the iron gate in her hands. "Run, Hendar, run!"

On the other side of the gates, they saw a young man dashing as fast as he could, pounding on the bars. "Trewin, open the gates. They're right behind me!"

That was their first sight of a rakghoul. Creatures the size of one and a half men, moving about with a lurching gait, they boasted glistening fangs the size of Kairi's palm and claws that could tear apart a swoop bike.

"Open the gates!" Hester shouted, pulling on them fruitlessly. "He'll die otherwise!"

"Open them!" Kairi shouted. "We'll take care of the rakghouls!"

Trewin seemed torn. Hendar's seconds were ticking away. "All right. GO!" He yanked the controls and the gate

She and Carth raced out, and into battle. There were two of them. Pushing Hendar back through the gates, they charged forward, blasters and sword drawn. Kairi rushed forward, her agility giving her an advantage as she ran ahead and struck from behind.

Carth fired, but the first couple shots only seemed to make the rakghoul angry. It howled and charged, and Carth narrowly dodged the sharp claws on the beast's mutated hand. He ducked the swipe coming at his head, and the claws raked his shoulder, ripping open the light armor and leaving deep scratches.

Carth got a good look on the face - confirming what the Outcasts had said. Warped and twisted as they were, these had once been men. The disease had twisted their bodies as it robbed the sentience from them. Raising his gun, he shot for the forehead. The rakghoul shrieked and went down in a heap.

Kairi ran up to him. "Carth?"

"Just a scratch," he told her.

The Outcast crowd was silent in amazement. Dozens of eyes watched them fight and were now looking on them with amazement and gratitude.

"You'd risk your life for a stranger's?" Trewin was amazed. "I had not known that there were those from up-world could be brave."

"I can't thank you enough for saving my life. If I had anything but the rags on my back, I would give them to you," Hedgar said.

Hester smiled. "You'll always have me, dear husband."

Kairi smiled. "The reunion's reward enough."

The pair walked off into the village.

Trewin nodded to them. "Well, you can certainly handle yourselves out there, and you're not going to find what you're looking for standing still. Best of luck for both of you. Thank you again for your courage."

****

Past the village gates, the true desolation of the Under City hit. Rubble had long been stripped for anything useful. Mute testimony to rakghoul presence - half-eaten corpses, the shredded remnants of clothing, shattered bone - could be found scattered almost everywhere.

One of the half-eaten bodies was that of an Outcast woman, large scratches across her neck indicating a swift but horrible end. The body looked relatively recent, compared to the skeletal remains they'd passed earlier. Carth saw something in her hand. Kneeling by her, he opened the stiff joints and found a small sphere. Holding it up, he inspected it.

"What is it?" Kairi asked.

"Looks like a data sphere," he said. "They're archaic technology now, but these were used to store three-dimensional holograms. I wonder what one is doing in the hand of a dead Outcast."

Kairi pulled a leather-bound book from under the dead woman's torso. She leafed through it and shook her head. "This is her journal, I'll bet. The dead woman is Malya, Rukil's apprentice. If she had any clues about his Promised Land, they're gone with her."

Carth spun the small silver orb in his hand. "Maybe, Kairi...Maybe."

There were also the remains of other, less fortunate, escape pods. They passed about a half-dozen on their way. Some had small, freshly-dug mounds next to them. Outcast scouts gave a last respect to those who did not make it. Others had footprints that stopped abruptly, leaving only a shredded and bloodstained red or yellow bit of cloth.

The wound on Carth's shoulder was burning, and his muscles were aching. He had to rest. Flopping down next to the rubble next to the pods, he rubbed his pounding head.

"Carth?"

"I don't feel so good, Kairi. I think...I think that scratch from the rakghoul..."

Her eyes went wide.

"If...it's true..." He tried to swallow, but his throat burned. "Then I'm not going to make it."

"No!" she said vehemently. There was panic in her eyes, and she clutched his arm. "The Sith patrols down here have the cure. I...I'll find it."

"Kairi, it's too dangerous..."

She helped him into the escape pod wreckage, adjusting the seat. "Carth, you've got to hold on. Rest here. I'll come back for you."

"Don't...don't lie to me..." he said. "I...I know..."

She didn't say anything more, just looked over her shoulder one last time before she vanished from sight.

She was leaving him alone to die. Carth could accept that. He just hoped she would be able to find Bastila for the Republic's sake.

Kairi hadn't gone far when she saw a figure running for her. Her hand went for her sword, but once she got a better look, she saw it was Mission, the Twi'lek girl she and Carth met earlier in Javyar's Cantina. Her eyes were large and her breathing was ragged. Desperately, she took Kairi's shoulders.

"Please, you gotta help me! No one else is going to help me. Not even the Beks can help me, but I can't just leave him!"

Kairi put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Calm down, Mission."

"But...but those Gammorrean slavers just nabbed Big Z! I can't just let them take him. You have to help me!" She looked at Kairi imploringly.

"What happened?"

"We...we were exploring and they ambushed us. Big Z...he just threw himself at them and roared at me to get away. I thought he was right behind me, but...but there were too many. They're gonna sell him to a slaver, I know it"

Kairi nodded. "I'll help, but right now the man I travel with, Carth, is badly hurt. I have to find some way to help him quickly or he might die. He was hurt by a rakghoul...he's feverish, has muscle pain."

Mission seemed to understand. "Rakghoul disease? Yipes, he's in trouble. Okay, I think I know where you could get some serum. A Sith patrol went into the sewers not long ago."

"All right," Kairi said. "Please, lead the way."

****

Mission half pulled Kairi through the Under City to a large hatchway. Slicing the lock, she dashed inside. The smell made it obvious where they were - the sewers of Taris. This section had long ago fallen to disuse, however. They were walking through what had been maintenance grids; the dim orange lights illuminating where sewer workers once made rounds, and continuing their duty long after the workers were gone.

A savage cry echoed through the large pipes. Rakghoul! Mission pulled her vibroblade, and Kairi her sword. Slowly, they crept through the darkness.

Up and down the winding passageways, they went until they came to one of the round conduits that served as a hub. That's where they saw them.

Two Sith were already dead. The rakghouls had them outnumbered and their claws had swiped the head from one. A uniformed officer had been impaled on a rusty spike. Two more armored Sith were losing their battle against the four rakghouls that still stood.

Kairi thought a moment. Maybe it would be better to wait until the rakghouls had finished off the Sith. That way, there would be fewer enemies and weaker rakghouls.

"They may be Sith, but no one deserves to die like that," Mission said.

There was almost an acidic tang of fear in her throat from the Sith, the same discomfort she felt when she heard Leto's cry for help in the Maze. Mission also seemed likely to enter the fray, whether or not Kairi chose to come with her. Between the two, Kairi's decision was made. She nodded her agreement.

Mission leaped on the smallest rakghoul like a burr and refused to let go. Kairi swiped and stabbed, getting one of the creatures right above the hip. It screamed and turned for her, but the Sith trooper used the opportunity to use his blaster rifle. The rakghoul, roaring with pain, grabbed the unlucky man by the throat and Kairi could hear the bones crunching. As it threw the husk aside, Kairi struck again, plunging her sword into its side. The rakghoul perished. Mission rode out the other one's attempts to throw her off long enough for her to reach around and slice the throat. She jumped off as it collapsed.

The single survivor stood there, mesmerized.

"Get out - there's more where it came from!" Kairi said.

The Sith was smart, fleeing back into the darkness. Searching the less-lucky members of the patrol, she found a hypo and three kits of green, bubbling liquid. Mission's eyes lit up.

"That's gotta be the serum!" She looked over. "Where did you leave your friend?"

Kairi told her, and Mission agreed to lead her on the fastest route.

"Gotta warn you, though. It's through the Gammorrean holdout."

Kairi looked up. "Then, we can rescue your companion on the way."

The Twi'lek girl's eyes lit up. "Let's go!"

Mission led her through more twisting passageways, deeper into the sewers. Unfortunately, she was right about the Gammoreans. They took position guarding the ladder out. Behind a huge door, they heard a sharp, guttural howl. Mission grimaced.

"Oh, no...Big Z..." Her face twisted, and second roar sprung her to action. "Hold on, Zaalbar, I'm coming!"

She rushed ahead, and Kairi followed. Gammorreans were known for their ferocity in combat, but they certainly weren't known for intelligence or courage. Seeing two armed women rush from the shadows, they picked up their axes and swords and squealed to the others.

They attempted to rush Mission, but the girl was too smart for them, clambering up the stacks of cargo containers and trash they had lined the walls with, her superior agility leaving her attackers unable to keep up with her. When she reached the top of the stack, the Gammoreans squealed, apparently thinking her trapped. Mission got the upper hand, though. Wedging her blade into a gap in the pile, she shifted an iron bar just a few centimeters left, sending the whole pile crashing down. She jumped off and landed gracefully, but the Gammoreans were not so lucky. They fell to the bottom and were trapped under the debris pile.

Kairi was busy beating back another pair, but their crude strength was no match for her swift slicing. Anger and the desire to kill ate at her, but the need to defend herself pushed the emotions into the back of her mind, giving her a clear focus on what was in front of her. She'd jumped out of the way of one's axe, and thrust her sword through his chest as he tried to make another swing. The second managed to wound the arm she'd injured a day earlier, but when Mission brought the debris pile clattering to the floor, the noise distracted him and gave Kairi her shot - right through his neck.

Blood was everywhere, dripping from their swords. Kairi kicked open a footlocker near the door, and marveled when she picked up the bowcaster. The Wookiee weapons were massive, but beautifully crafted.

Mission set to work on the locked door. It squeaked loudly on its corroded joints as it opened. Behind it was Zaalbar. Kairi had a lot of trouble carrying the bowcaster, and handed it back back to him. Now armed, Zaalbar had little trouble blasting through his chains. A step behind her, Mission ran up to him.

_"You're a sight for sore eyes, Mission!"_

"Big Z!" Mission threw her arms around his hairy bulk, and he returned the hug - very gently considering his large hands. "Oh, buddy, I was so scared! You didn't think I'd forget about you though? Mission and Big Z - together forever!"

Zaalbar looked quizzically at Kairi. _"I recognize her from the cantina!"_

"Kairi is a friend, Big Z. Without her, I'd never have been able to free you!"

He knew the human would not be able to understand him, but it would be impolite and dishonorable not to thank her. _"Thank you! Thank you so much!"_

Kairi walked up to him. "You're very welcome, Zaalbar. I was happy to help."

That startled him, and he clasped Mission's shoulder. Usually, the only humans who bothered to understand Shirriwook were more interested in putting a Wookiee in chains rather than freeing them. "_You...human...you understand me?"_

"Yes," she said. "I'm a translator. Does that surprise you?"

_"Yes! Humans rarely bother to learn the language of my people."_

Kairi just smiled. "Oh, I understand it...just don't ask me to speak it."

Zaalbar looked at Mission. It had to have been dangerous coming to rescue him, and he knew young Twi'lek females were also valued as slaves. Kairi must have been helping protect Mission during the rescue. If that were so, then both of them owed her their lives, but Mission did not have the obligation to acknowledge it.

He did.

_"If you understand my words, then you understand that there is only one thing I can do to repay your kindness. You have saved me from a life of a beast and a slave. For my life, the only payment can be a life - I swear mine to yours."_

"Whoa," Mission looked up at Zaalbar. "A life-debt. You sure, Big Z? Think it over carefully."

He looked down at his little friend, unused to talking to anyone but her for so long, and even then only in short sentences._ "I'm sure, Mission. This is an issue of deep importance to me. Because of our great strength, Wookiees are being used as slaves on our own home world, or sent off-world as curiosities and beasts. Over the years, slavers have taken many of my people. Our villages are under constant siege."_

Mission looked warily between Zaalbar and Kairi. "If you're sure, Big Z..."

_"You understand slavery, Mission. Twi'lek girls like yourself are also slaves. My act saved you, and Kairi's has saved both of us. I swear this just as much for you as myself."_

"Thing is..." She spoke hesitantly. "Kairi, do you understand what Big Z's saying? Not just the words, but..."

"Is it some kind of loyalty oath?" Kairi asked. "I know the language, but there's so much I can't remember."

"Not just that," Mission said. "It's the most solemn vow a Wookiee can make. It means that he'll stick by you for the rest of your life - wherever you go, whatever you do, Zaalbar will be with you."

_"In the presence of all of you, I swear my life-debt. Forever after, I will be at your side, Kairi Niko. May this vow be as strong as the great wroshyr trees of Kashyyyk."_

"I am touched and honored to accept your vow, Zaalbar...and your friendship, I hope."

"_If you are kind to Mission, you are already a friend," _he said.

"I guess that means you're stuck with me, too," Mission said with a shrug. "Where he goes, I go. I almost lost him once. I'm not going to lose him again."

"Wonderful," Kairi said. "Glad to have you aboard - both of you. Now, we've got to get this serum to Carth!"

Carth regained consciousness, feeling the burning in his blood cool quickly. Hearing and touch were the next senses to return, feeling a hand brush a sweat-drenched lock of hair from his forehead, and an angel's voice talking to him.

"Carth...Carth, can you hear me?"

He wasn't able to do much other than groan. Oh, he still felt like something a rancor beast threw up. After a few seconds, he felt a weight on his chest, and warm rain on his neck. He forced his eyes open.

Kairi was kneeling next to him, her head on his chest like she was listening for a heartbeat. Her eyes were closed and her body was shaking, tears leaking from her eyes. Carth could hardly believe it!

"Kairi?" His voice was weak, but she must have heard it, starting up from her position, and a syringe falling from her hand. She was still trembling, and her dark eyes were glazed from tears.

"I...I thought I was too late, or that the serum..."

_She ...I thought she'd save herself, not..._"Kairi?"

"We have to get this to Zelka. I hope it's enough..."

Carth blacked out again.

****

"Easy, friend."

Zelka? The Upper City doctor? He was still confused. What in the hell happened? At least he felt a bit stronger now. Ignoring the splitting pain in his skull, he sat up and looked around. He was in Zelka's "secret passage." The most surprising sight was Mission and Zaalbar standing nearby.

"You're lucky," Zelka said. "It's good that you've a pair of friends here - especially one big enough to carry you!"

"Where's....?"

"She's okay. Just resting," Mission said. "Zelka said something about running tests on her."

Zelka pocketed his datapad. "I'm not sure I want to ask what you were doing with Sith tracking papers, either."

Mission shrugged. "Probably got them from the Beks, is my guess. Gadon's forged a few sets of those."

"I see." Zelka smiled. "Well, while that's a rakghoul scratch, I'd call you lucky. There is absolutely no trace of the disease in your system."

"Isn't there? I..." He then remembered the green syringe in Kairi's hand. "Check Kairi's pack."

Zelka opened Kairi's pack, and he gasped. "This...this is the serum! How?" Zelka stopped himself. "No, I don't think I want to know. Safer that way. Can you do me a favor, however?"

"Name it," Carth said.

"I'm going to use these samples to make a hundred doses - that should take care of Gendar's village in the Under City. With this, they'll never have to fear another attack. Can you do that for me?"

"You got it," Carth said. "Did you find anything out about Kairi?"

"I did do some tests...neural scans, bio-electric analysis...the full spectrum." His eyes grew distant. "What is your relationship to Kairi, exactly? I'm not certain."

"She's...well...we served together on that ship that the Sith attacked. I guess you could call her my partner. Why? Is it bad news? Is she all right?"

Zelka held up his hand. "She is fine, physically. It's her mind that given me concern. There is extensive neural damage present. Now, she isn't getting any worse, but I have my doubts about whether she'll ever recover what she's lost."

"Her...her memory you mean?"

"I would wager on total retrograde amnesia," Zelka said. "Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do for her. The brain is very delicate and very little understood. If she recovers any of her memory prior to her accident, I would call it a miracle. Actually, with what the two of you are able to tell me, it's a miracle so little was affected. When it comes to plasma shock, what survives usually isn't more than an empty husk."

Mission whistled. "You mean, that Kairi..."

Zelka picked up the serum. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll take the serum and start duplicating it. Mission and Zaalbar, can you come with me?"

Zelka vanished into the lift, Mission and Zaalbar in tow.

Carth got up and paced the room, experimentally fingering the bandage on his shoulder. The kolto enhancements to it would ensure that it would heal in a matter of hours. Zelka's statement confirmed that Kairi wasn't lying about her lost memory, but that still didn't leave him with any more answers. Overall, though, she was certainly functioning well, better than he would, probably. He stopped at the tanks, looking into them to see the dying men that Zelka had hidden. Already, he noticed that he was down to two occupied chambers from four.

The first that was still holding on was suspended, held up by harnesses. An arm was gone, and his chest looked sunken. Lieutenant Thay Los. He'd been on the _Endar Spire_ as a second tour of duty. The second was Master Sergeant Callidan - a tough old bastard from the Republic Space Marines. Hard to think of a stubborn, grizzled kath hound like him languishing through his last days in a kolto tank.

"Carth? Are you all right?"

He spun around to see that Kairi had entered the room and was watching him with concern.

"All right?" He thought about it. "I suppose, yes - thanks to you. Guess I have a lot on my mind," he said. "A lot to say and I'm not sure where to start. I suppose 'thank you' would be the best place to begin. I...I was sure you left me to die, but..."

"I didn't. I couldn't," she said. "Why should that surprise you?"

"I guess it shouldn't," Carth admitted. "Still does, though. Zelka's given me a clean bill of health. He's got some...some bad news for you, though." Carth walked to her side, sighing. "Zelka's checked into your memory problem. Ran every test he could think of. That plasma shock was bad, though. He's saying there's a good chance you'll never recover your memories."

She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded. "I...suspected as much. Having it confirmed, though..."

"Kairi, even with what's happened to you, you've got to be the most skilled woman I've ever met. And the rakghoul serum was only one time of many that you've saved my life. I'm lucky you're helping me, no question about it."

"I sense a 'but' in there. You're willing to trust my skills, but are those all you're going to trust?"

"Kairi, why is the issue of whether I trust someone or not so personal to you? I've...I've just been betrayed before, and..." His hands fell to his sides and balled up into fists. "Well, I can't let it happen again, I won't."

"I'm not going to betray you, Carth. Have I given you reason to think I will?"

He reached out as if to touch her shoulder, but cupped her face instead. "I know you believe what you're saying...but there's no such thing as a guarantee, Kairi. We both know that."

"So, it hasn't a thing to do with me - you're just suspicious of everyone?"

"That's it - exactly."

She looked up at him, and Carth almost felt his resolve crack. He just wasn't ready, though...not after Telos...not after...

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" she asked.

"I'm sure. What I want to do is save the galaxy, if that's even possible. Are you with me there?"

Kairi nodded. "I'm on your side. Please, just know that."

****

Since Mission and Zaalbar made it clear that they were joining Kairi and Carth's quest, they followed back to the apartment. There, they were filled in on the battle aboard the _Spire_, Kairi's accident, and Bastila's capture. Mission took most of it in stride, and Zaalbar appeared to stay silent, deep in thought about the situation. Carth headed for the fresher, leaving Kairi to do most of the talking.

"So, Kairi, you don't remember anything before the attack, even if you know how to do all this stuff?"

"That's right."

"And those Vulkar slimes took a Jedi?"

"Yes."

"Good thing you have Big Z and me to help you then! Sounds like you need all the help you can get!"

"Mission," Kairi asked. "Do you have any family?"

"You want to know about me? Wow. I really never get asked that question." Mission replied. She tried to make light of it with a shrug. "Big Z's my family. My parents...well; I'd guess they're dead. I never knew them. Then, after my brother took off...."

"You've a brother?"

Mission folded her arms. "Touchy subject, Kairi. Anyway, he bails and I'm on my own until I see Zaalbar. I could tell right away he was in trouble. Even before the gang wars started, the Vulkars were bad news. I see them picking on Big Z, and I had to go help!"

Zaalbar let out an affirmative howl.

"No one said those Vulkars were bright, did they?" Mission asked rhetorically. "Six of them, one of him. Even if you're dealing with a Wookiee, that's bad. Anyway, I see them picking on him - all alone on a strange planet...Well, I just lost it."

"_You decided to pick the fight with them,"_ Zaalbar said.

"Am I telling the story, or you?"

Zaalbar smiled indulgently at her.

"I shout at them and go charging in with my blaster. One of those Vulkars turned around and decked me so hard I almost blacked out!"

Kairi said, "That was brave of you...but not very wise. Never mind, go on."

"What was I supposed to do, let him get beat up? Those Vulkars are nothing but cowards. I guess Zaalbar didn't like seeing me get smacked around. He lets out his howl and yanks their leader a meter off the ground by his throat! Thought for a minute he was going to beat the punk to death with his own spine, but the others...you had to be there to understand, but they get this look on their faces and I've never seen those guys run so fast!" Mission cleared her throat and continued. "Their leader faints. Maybe he was just scared, or maybe Big Z's breath just knocked him out."

_"Mission!"_

She smiled teasingly and ruffled his fur. "You know I love you. Just not your breath. Anyway, Zaalbar throws him aside. I just grab his hand, and we haul out of there. Been together since."

"And just what are you doing on Taris, Zaalbar?"

The large Wookiee just fell silent, looking down on the floor.

"Sorry, Kairi. He doesn't talk about it - not even to me. In case you didn't notice, he's the strong, silent type. It doesn't matter to me, though. We just...well, we tend to live in the present."

"_I am not able to speak of the reasons why I left Kashyyyk. They are too painful to share, and an outsider would find it hard to understand. Please know that this does not mitigate my life-debt, Kairi Niko."_

"I wouldn't think so," Kairi said. "But know that Mission or I will listen if you ever feel need to."

_"Thank you for your respect."_

Carth smiled as he came out of the fresher, toweling off his hair. "Watch yourself, kid. She's got a way of prying your secrets from you."

Mission stuck out her tongue at Carth playfully before turning back to Kairi. "So, you want me to help you into the Vulkar base so you can get the Bek accelerator back so you can race a swoop and win your Jedi friend's freedom, and maybe save the Republic itself. Hey, sounds like fun!"

"What we're doing is highly dangerous, Mission," Carth told her. "It's no place for a kid."

Mission folded her arms. "I'm fourteen. I'm not some little kid!"

"Fourteen, huh?" Carth said. "You're just a little younger than..." His voice trailed off again, like an iron wall came down. "How did Kairi talk you into coming along? I mean, you don't have to stay."

Zaalbar replied. Carth looked up. "Sorry, Zaalbar. Kairi's the translator, not me."

Mission sat down. "Big Z's sworn a life-debt to Kairi. Means that she pretty much is stuck with him - and me. As for dangerous, well...life is dangerous. Doesn't mean you sit at home all the time."

****

Deciding that Zaalbar would be conspicuous, they left him at the hideout as they went back to Zelka's to pick up the medicine. Sure enough, Zelka had been able to replicate the formula, and set them off with packs full of it. He also gave them five doses in case they should find themselves in need of it. It was also a long and twisted journey through the Lower City as they made their way to through abandoned transit tunnels where they'd be utterly lost without Mission's navigation.

"Hey, Carth," Mission said. "You're a pilot, right?"

"That's right."

"So, I'll bet you've been all over the galaxy. I wanna know - how does Taris rate?"

"Well, there are worse places," Carth admitted. "But overall - pretty low. The rich spoiling themselves, the poor crushed beneath - not a pretty picture."

"Hmmm..." Mission seemed to think this over. "You mean people live differently elsewhere? This isn't the way it is for most places?"

"That's right." He shook his head. "And it's no place for a girl on her own - not even one that's paired up with a Wookiee."

"He's my friend, not my babysitter!" Mission said. "I ask you a question, and I get a lecture..."

"Hey, don't snap at me, missie! Is it a lecture you're after? Well, here's one - only bratty children go flying off the handle due to a simple comment."

"I don't have to be listening to you. You're not my father - though you're sure old enough to be! You keep that lecture inside your withered old head, ' cause I don't need 'em."

"And I sure as hell don't need this from some snot-nosed punk!"

Kairi stepped between them. "You both are acting like children. Settle down right now!"

Both of them took a few deep breaths. Kairi could have sworn Carth was counting to ten. After a few moments, they cooled off.

"Guess you're right, Kairi." Mission sighed. "We stand around here arguing, it'll just attract Vulkars looking for a real fight."

"You ready to have a civil chat, or is this going to be another tantrum?"

"Tantrum? I'm trying to apologize, you nerf-herder!" She stopped herself. "Uh...sorry...I mean...Well, I didn't mean to get so mad at you. It's just that...well, everyone treats me like I'm some helpless little kid, and I'm sick of it."

"Yeah, I know. And I've been a real ass - just ask Kairi. Guess I've been on-edge, considering what's happened. I shouldn't take it out on you." He gestured around. "I don't think you're helpless, and neither does Kairi. Look where we are. Look at what we're doing. You aren't along for the ride, Mission - we need you."

She seemed taken aback by this. "You...you mean it, don't you? Not even Big Z's said that to me. Sure, he probably thinks it, but he's not great with words." She smiled. "Thanks, Carth."

Carth found himself smiling back. "Ah, no big deal, I know how it is. Sometimes we all need a word or two of encouragement, kids especially."

"Kids?" Mission stopped herself, finally realizing Carth's joke. She started laughing. "Okay, you got me there, geezer. You're pretty funny, Carth...for an old guy. C'mon, I know a short cut."

Mission guided them to a secret entrance to the Undercity, winding them back through the Village. They knocked at Gendar's door.

"Gendar?"

The door opened and the Outcast leader looked them over. "Did you find your friend, up-worlders?"

"No," said Kairi. "But you were still a lot of help. We're bringing a gift from Zelka." Taking off their packs, they handed Gendar the vials. His eyes lit up.

"This...this is not what I believe it is."

"Believe it!" Mission said. "Kairi got it off the patrols, got it to Zelka. Zelka did the rest."

He seemed overcome with joy. "I will get this to Essala at once. Excuse me."

He took the containers and made for another tent. Kairi, Carth, and Mission continued. They still had another, sadder, duty to Rukil.

The hair on Carth's neck stood on edge as he walked into Rukil's tent. Kairi seemed confident enough as she sat cross-legged on the floor across from the ancient man.

"I found this. It was on a body outside the gates. Do you recognize it?" she handed Rukil the leather-bound book. The old man took it, shaking his head sadly.

"Yes, I do. It seems that you found Malya's remains...as I feared. I know that you've also brought the serum to our people, making certain no others will die as she did. For this, you prove to be the ones I have waited for."

"Maybe you have us confused with someone else," Kairi said.

"I do not mistake the mantle of destiny that hangs over you, nor your deeds of heroism," Rukil said. "Perhaps I know you better than you know yourselves?"

Kairi shot a look to Carth, who shrugged and said nothing. "Maybe you do, indeed."

"The Promised Land is no legend, I can assure you. I was very young at the time of the Great War, but still knew of it. Now that you both have proven yourselves, I will be able to tell you."

"Very well," Kairi said in agreement.

"The great city of Taris covers all land on this planet. There is no land to grow food. Harvests from the sea were our only source of food, but the ocean became poisoned - famine and civil war swept the planet as the rich hoarded their food and left millions to starve."

"Looks like not much has changed," Carth said bitterly. "The Upper City rich live like princes while the rest of Taris rots."

"In the Great War, the poor rose up to defend themselves. Entire sections of the city were destroyed or abandoned. In the end, the Rebellion was crushed. The jails could not hold all the dissenters. The old city was paved over and a new city build atop it, the former rebels and their entire families banished to its depths. The Undercity was born."

"What do you expect from Tarisian nobility?" Mission grumbled. "They'd stuff their own mothers down here if it would make more room for their egos."

"Ah," said Rukil. "But there is a hope - the last legacy of our rebel ancestors...the Promised Land. And you three will be the ones who show us the way. Mission, the explorer...Carth, the soldier...and you, Lady Kairi - you are to be the guide."

"How can I guide you?" Kairi asked. "I don't even know what it is...or where?"

"The rebels had a base ---beneath even the Undercity - a self-sufficient colony where we can grow and harvest food, and where droid servants tend to our needs. That...that is the Promised Land."

Carth retained his skepticism. "Sounds to me like a con - some false hope so you don't take up arms against the Upper City again or go mad with despair down here."

"Still unwilling to trust, I see," Rukil said, and then took out an old sphere reader. "Unfortunately, no one will be after her. I am too old to take another apprentice, and even if the sphere exists..."

Carth felt his pocket, remembering the small sphere he took from Malya's hand. "Wait!" Fumbling in his pocket, he pulled it out and showed it to Rukil "Is...is this what you're talking about?"

Rukil took it, his hands shaking. "It is true, then?" He put the missing sphere in the slot, and an arc of energy passed through it. The holographic map flickered, and came to life!

"Hey!" Mission exclaimed. "I know where that is! It's only a week on foot! There's a big door that I never was able to figure out how to open." She pointed to a pass outlined on the map. "Head that way. It's the best route - it's through coolant vents. You'll need a good coat, but the rakghouls don't like the cold."

Carth ran up the stairs to catch up with Gendar as he was turning over the serum to Essala, the Outcast's healer. "Gendar! Hey, you have to see this!"

"What is it?"

"I...I think Rukil's got something you'll want to see."

Gendar signed. "Not more tales of a so-called paradise, is it?"

"Uh, they aren't tales, Gendar. Have a look for yourself."

Gendar walked in the hovel to see it - the map with the clearest route marked. "This...this is amazing! Are these real, Rukil - is this information accurate?"

"Accurate?" said Mission. "Oh, they're accurate. That's the reason your Promised Land was so hard to find. It's hidden in plain sight! And the geographical data...there is something under there - tunnels and chambers. It's the size of a small city - big enough for everyone!"

Gendar's face lit up. "And we lived in fear of the rakghouls, but thanks to you, we have the means to end the scourge. Our supplies are high right now...we can start the trip in less than a day! I'll tell the others to prepare."

Gendar quickly left the tent. Rukil stood up and shook Kairi and Mission's hands. "Thank you once more, Kairi. Where we go, you will not be able to follow. Your destiny is elsewhere...and yet to be chosen."

"Farewell, Rukil, and thank you for your wisdom."

"I must prepare for the trip. I'm afraid my age means I'll have to take longer than others. Just remember what I have told you."

Mission and Kairi went with Gendar, leaving Carth to watch the display and think about the last day.

"Maybe I shouldn't doubt so much," Carth said absently. He looked up. "You...you were right last time. Kairi...I was infected by the rakghouls. She risked her neck to get the serum...saved my life." He put his hands on the table and leaned in. "I want to know how you knew about that."

"I am glad to know that you have saved each other's lives....But she has yet to save you," Rukil warned. "And you to save her."

About to express another round of doubt or argue that the old man was speaking in riddles, Carth stopped himself cold. He still remembered how the disease has made his blood burn, and how he had been willing to bet the Republic itself on her not coming back, leaving him to die. Other things he recalled, too...coming out of the fever to feel her head on his chest and her tears on his skin.

"How can I save her, Rukil? I'm not sure I can save myself."

"The seed of it is already planted, but you must allow it to grow."

He had a sneaking suspicion of what the old man was talking about, but he wasn't about to admit it - even to himself. He just wasn't ready.

"I'll trust you on it, Rukil."

****

That night, the Outcasts had packed their things and prepared their caravan. Kairi, Carth, Mission, and Zaalbar did what they could to help.

Kairi waved good-bye, her eyes tearing up with joy. Carth put his hands on Kairi's shoulders, turning her around and hugging her tightly. Kairi let out a cry of surprise, but hugged him back.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the last group leaving. Among them was Rukil, wrapped in his warmest cloak and carrying a walking stick, but otherwise showing no hint of his age.

Upon seeing them, Rukil smiled in reply and shuffled out the gate.


	5. Beks, Vulkars, and Swoops

**Chapter 4**

**Beks, and Vulkars, and Swoops**

Mission took them back to the sewers. "The Vulkar base is to the northwest. Fortunately, I can take down their force shield. Unfortunately, the back way is guarded by the pet rancor."

"Pet rancor?" Carth shook his head. "Well, this just keeps getting better, doesn't it?"

"A rancor beast on Taris?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah, don't ask me how it got here. I know it used to make its nest in the sewers. Eats anything it can get its claws on - it's HUGE! The good part is that it's really stupid. I've sneaked past it before."

Reaching the first hub, they heard a voice behind them. "D...don't move!"

Turning around, they faced a baby-faced human in light armor - probably another tracker.

"Settle down, you idiot. Don't be wasting your ammo," a gravely voice shouted to him. "The rakghouls have already taken out a half-dozen men and the last thing we need is a foolhardy firefight."

Catching up to his position was Canderous with three other mercenaries. One was limping. Another was holding his side. Canderous himself had a vicious-looking chemical burn on his forearm, but didn't seem to notice it. The Mandalorian regarded them with something akin to amusement. "Well, now...if it isn't the odd pair." He shook his head at Mission. "They hire you on as a guide, street rat?"

"No, sir," she said. "they helped me out, so I'm helping them."

"You're too good-natured. It'll get you killed," he argued, then abruptly turned to Kairi and Carth. "Look, I know you two are obviously from off-world, and I don't know how you got here, but you'd best turn back. This place is dangerous."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Kairi asked.

Canderous smiled. "Mandalorians do not make threats, Miss, we make promises. Especially to someone who can fight, as you obviously can. No, all I'm doing is giving a friendly warning."

The mercenary holding his side let out a moan. Kairi took off her pack. "We've medpacks - and rakghoul serum. At least let us help you."

The three of them patched the mercenaries using a couple kits and made sure they were inoculated.

"I told Davik this wasn't a good idea," Canderous complained. "These men aren't trained for this, and I can't baby-sit them!" Flexing his arm experimentally after Kairi finished her bandaging, he nodded approval. "You seem to know how to handle yourselves though."

Kairi explained, "We've business here, as do you."

Canderous snorted. "Let me guess - those Republic escape pods. Well, forget about it. The damn Vulkars already stripped those. Likely, there's nothing worth finding. Just how did you get the vaccine anyway?"

"A doctor in the Upper City."

Canderous dropped his voice, and snatched her arm, his large hand easily encircling her forearm. He exerted not quite enough force to injure her, but enough to let her know he meant business. "Someone had to deliver it to him, which means stealing it from the Sith. Your Republic boyfriend might think I'm stupid, but I'm not. I keep track, Kairi Niko. I know what's luck and what's the real thing."

She raised an eyebrow at the fact he knew her name. "Anything else you'd like to say?"

"Only that I'll continue to watch." He let go of her limb and put an equipment pack at her feet. It was full of fragmentation grenades - inelegant, but certainly effective.

"That's in trade for your services."

Before she was completely aware of it, the words slipped out. "_Vor entye."_

One iron-colored eyebrow went up, and she half-imagined that he was smiling, even if his outwardly stone face didn't change at all. He called over his shoulder. "We're heading back to the surface, boys. Move out."

They vanished into the darkness of another sewer tunnel before Mission gestured for them to follow her.

****

Sure enough, in the northwest corner of the sewers was a purple, shimmering forcefield. Mission stepped up to the computer panel in front of it like a master musician to her instrument.

"You won't be able to get past that if you don't know the proper codes. Fortunately, I picked the pocket of a Vulkar that had a little too much to drink in the cantina and..."

The shimmering field faded away, allowing them access. It was still a few more kilometers' worth of twisted passages and reeking corridors before they found the rancor beast.

It was in a vast pit, guarding the door on the other side. A rusted ladder was the only way to the bottom. The beast had to be the size of a house! Brown, leathery hide would protect it from blasters or blades, and its squashed-looking face boasted fangs the size of a man. Clearly fighting it was no option.

"How in the hell did you get past it last time?" Carth asked.

"Waited until the Vulkars were feeding it, and snuck past them. I was small, they were large - they were better-looking food."

Carth got an idea. "Well, when we were fighting the Mandalorians, they made booby traps out of people they killed. Planted a bomb in the corpse and waited for us to try and recover it."

"Sounds gross," Mission said. "But the Vulkars have fed a few Beks to it, so I know it'll eat that."

They backtracked through the corridors and hubs of the sewers, back to the place where the Sith patrol had met a bloody end. Mission looked a little green. Kairi and Carth did the better part of the dragging. Loading the dead man's garments with fragment grenades, they threw it down into the pit where the Vulkar's pet rancor was starting to wake up.

The Rancor woke up, smelling food in the pit. Taking the body in its large claws, it gulped it in a single swallow. They were starting to believe their plan had failed when it trudged back to its nest. Halfway there, it halted clutched at its belly howling with pain, letting out a screech that was straight out of a nightmare.

BOOM!

Fire shot out of its gullet as it stumbled backwards, reeling as the succession of grenades set off a chain reaction. They barely missed getting doused in rancor innards when the last massive explosion went off, and the rancor's enormous carcass dropped to the floor of the pit. Mission looked very queasy, and no one blamed her when she brought up the rear after ducking off to a side corridor for a moment.

The back door guard was alone, and as Kairi approached, he pulled out a sword and tried to defend himself. Kairi knocked the sword from his hand and he fell to the floor. She could see now that he was an older Twi'lek man. He fell to his knees and looked up at her, pleading in his dialect.

"_I surrender! I surrender! Don't kill me! I'm not like these others - Brejik and these new Vulkars!" _

"What are you talking about?" Kairi asked. "You're not a Vulkar?"

"_I am Tal. I am a Vulkar, but I was here long before Brejik - back when being a Vulkar had some honor to it. When he took over, the gang became bloodthirsty thugs. They treat us original Vulkars like second-class citizens." _Tal grimaced. "_I used to be third in charge - now I guard this back door, and will be fed to the rancor if I try to leave the gang_."

"Well, you needn't worry about the rancor. It's dead."

"_What are you after in the base_?"

"The swoop accelerator. We're trying to retrieve it."

Tal laughed. "_I can get you there! Take the passkey. It will work the elevator, and you can cause all sorts of trouble if you get to a terminal and slice the security here_."

"As for jumping ship, Gadon needs help. Would you consider it?" Mission asked. When he nodded, she took a black ribbon off her head tail. "Tell them Mission sends you."

"_Thank you_!" The man vanished into the darkness of the base, heading for the lift to the Lower City.

If the Vulkar base had been anything but a chop shop, Kairi would have not believed it. Large industrial engines clattered and whirred, generating both power for the base and a maddening din. The spaces were wide and open, large motors humming and partitions with patrol droids walking with impunity, shooting down any invaders. Fortunately, droids were also very easy to destroy. Down a dusty, mostly unused section converted to storage, they found a neglected computer terminal. Mission went right up to it and fished out a few computer spikes. Spikes were the name commonly given to small devices that could flood a terminal's security program by either infecting it with a virus or overloading it with digital garbage. In some systems, possession of them could land one in jail. Taris, however, was not in one of those systems.

Using the shadows to their advantage, they took advantage of the loud music blaring from the recreation hall, and the engine noises from towards the far end of the base to cover their movements. Droids patrolling the halls didn't last long when they met with Carth's blasters or the women's blades.

Mission plugged her spike into the interface and shook her head. "They spend all their time strutting around the streets and leave their base wide open. Gotta love the brains on these guys." She pulled up the schematic and sent it to Kairi's datapad. "From what I can tell, the accelerator would be in the office of the head mechanic. That's on the far end of the lower floor.

"Lots of Vulkars and only three of us," said Carth. "Mission, can you create some kind of distraction?"

"Give them a few things other than us to worry about? Sure thing!" Her small, blue hands flew over the keys. "I'll shut down the alarm systems and set a timer to put the generators into cold shutdown - that ought to keep them busy. Oh, lookie here. They control their droids from these panels? Talk about dumb! From here, I'll scramble their programming so the guard droids will shoot at anything that moves. And just so it'll take them even longer to clean up the mess…" She looked over her shoulder. "Get away - fast!"

Mission put in her last bit of instructions and started running like her feet were on fire, catching up to Carth and Kairi. No sooner had she escaped to a safe distance then the terminal seemed to melt - sparks shooting out of it, the panel catching ablaze and the stench of fried electronics hitting them.

Already, the generators were grinding to a halt, and cursing echoed through the halls as mechanics and repair droids raced everywhere. The patrol droids were firing wildly; at the Vulkars, at the repair droids, and at each other. Techs staggered out of a spice lab that was venting sweet-smelling fumes into nearby halls, and there may have been some fires starting, judging from the shouts. The Vulkars had their hands full, and the state of chaos was just what they needed, as the foot traffic was heading one direction, and they were headed the other.

Tal's passkey got them to the garage level. Swoop bikes, at least a dozen of them, were in various stages of repair. Carth taking point, they ducked and crept through the garage, using the bikes as cover. No one dared say a word, lest they give their position away. So far, everyone was too busy with the distraction Mission caused.

They got to the Head Mechanic's office undetected, and Mission sliced the lock. Kairi and Carth guarded the door as she searched, wrenching open the lockers in the back and the drawers on the desk. There wasn't going to be the time or reason to go slowly on this one. Finally, Mission broke the lock on a drawer in the bottom of the desk, and pulled out a small black device the size of a blaster. "Found it!"

Carth somehow expected it would be more of a problem. "Y'mean this is it?"

"Yup! We'd better get out of here - fast!"

They opened the door to race back to the elevator, only to find five Vulkars blocking their way out led by a reedy looking Twi'lek.

"_Look what we got here. The Bek's little mascot and some mercs the old man hired to steal our accelerator."_

Mission bristled at the word "mascot" and fired back. "Brejik stole the engine from Gadon. It was never yours to begin with, Kandon!"

_"__What's the old man paying you?"_ Kandon asked. _"We could easily double it."_

"The Vulkars have done nothing but take shots at us since we arrived here," Kairi said sharply. "You think we'll join you? You must be stupider than you look."

Kandon brought up his blade. _"Well, then. Guess you won't be leav -."_

He didn't get to finish that sentence, as Kairi ran him through, spun on her heel, and smacked a female Vulkar with the flat of her blade, knocking her unconscious.

As she fought, Kairi could only see panic and fear in her attackers, washing the world in shades of red. The tattoo of her heartbeat seemed to drown out any sounds. It was as though she were outside her own body, watching herself block and counter, strike and parry. It was nothing more than instinct, muscle memory remembering things she could not consciously recall.

It was only after the five Vulkars lay unconscious or dead did her feet become wobbly and she half collapsed, Carth's arms steadying her.

"Easy there. You wounded?"

She shook her head, part to answer him and part to shake off the disconcerting feeling that seemed to cover her.

There were shouts and footsteps coming closer. They'd have to fight their way out.

Blasters and swords clashed as they rushed past towards the elevators. Carth lobbed grenades to clear out any backup. Herding the women ahead, he slammed the lift controls while laying cover fire.

The lift shot upwards to the top level and the Lower City. When they were almost convinced that the worst was past them, the elevator halted abruptly. Mission swore and ripped open the access panel. "They're trying to trap us!"

As she tried to re-wire the lockout, two Vulkars crashed down into the lift. Five people in such tight quarters weren't the best conditions for a fight, but Kairi and Carth made the most of it. Kairi managed to pull the shock stick from the first one's belt and jam it into his throat. Carth was less subtle, the other one knocked out by a left hook and a jab to the abdomen.

Mission looked up. "I can't stop them! They're going to drop this car to the basement! I've jammed it, but I don't know for how long!"

Carth looked through the hole above them. "Come on! Through the ceiling! I'll help you two up."

He boosted them through the hole and they helped pull him up. Three thick cables supported the old lift, and they barely had time to pull Carth out and grab the cables before the car they'd been riding plunged down the shaft, crashing to the bottom as a pile of twisted metal.

They climbed to the next level, Mission taking another small device out of her coat and aiming it for the doors. "This ought to open the doors, but we won't have much time before the generators totally shut down."

The door slid open, with a harsh grinding noise, and the three of them swung into the main hallway - and the business end of several Vulkars who had the drop on them. Behind them, the Vulkar base's main entrance was right behind them, open to the streets of the Lower City and freedom. That was - if they had a chance to reach it.

The Aqualish in charge was laughing as he pointed his blaster at them. _"Not too smart are you? We Vulkars smart. We Vulkars tough..."_

His toadies laughed with him in a way that made their blood cold. No way out.

And that's when they heard a loud clanking and scraping noise - metal shrieking against metal. The Vulkars were confused and panicked, and that's when everything went dark. The once-swaggering Aqualish had vastly changed his tone as he started shouting orders to his disoriented followers to find the "rest of the intruders."

As the Vulkars were regrouping, they took their chances and rushed the disorganized group, fighting past them in a crazy sprint for the doors. They made it to the maze of the Lower City, losing the rest of the Vulkars in the process.

****

"Gadon!"

"Well, now, Mission. Glad to see things worked out right after all. Where's Zaalbar?"

"Guarding our hideout," she said. "You wouldn't believe what we did!"

Kairi and Carth were grinning broadly as they walked in, striding right up to Gadon's desk and putting the accelerator on it. Zaerdra's jaw just about hit the floor.

"I...I can't believe this! It's the prototype, Gadon. Just like they said."

Gadon sat smugly back in his chair. "You sure you folks don't want to boast Bek colors full time?"

Mission laughed. "Hey, I'd love to, but it's up to them."

"I hope you're still able to come through for us, Ganon," Carth said. "Is the race still on?"

"Like the sun comes up," Gadon said. "It's tomorrow morning. Now, which of you is going to ride under the Bek flag to win your friend back?"

Carth looked over at Gadon. "What's the catch?"

Gadon's silver eyes studied the accelerator with concern. "The accelerator has a few bugs - we've worked out most of them, but it's only good for a few laps. After that..."

"After that, it explodes," Zaerdra said. "That's why Gadon's not putting one of our racers on it, but if you race with this, it's the best chance you have of getting that Republic officer back from the Vulkars. Most likely, it's your only way."

"Then I'll ride it," "I volunteer," "I'll do it." All three of them spoke almost at once.

"Only one of you can," Gadon said. "Those are the rules."

"Kairi, I'm a pilot. I'll take the risk," Carth insisted.

"I'm smaller," argued Mission. "And I'd do it for Gadon as much as you. I won't let you two down."

Kairi shook her head. "No. Mission, if we succeed and get Bastila out of there, your knowledge of Taris and hiding spots is too valuable to waste. Carth, if Bastila is to get off the planet, she'll need a pilot skilled enough to fly through the blockade. The Republic can also afford the loss of a translator more than it can afford the loss of a veteran pilot and officer. If I fail, it will be up to you to free Bastila and have Mission get all of you into hiding."

"Kairi, are you nuts?" Carth gaped at her. "You can't even remember if you know how to ride a swoop!"

"True," she countered. "But Carth, think about this tactically. It makes sense that I go."

Gadon folded his arms. "You don't get to be leader of a swoop gang unless you can work all the angles, and I agree with the lady," he said. "Hell of a thing to decide, but you _are _too valuable to lose, Mission."

"Gadon!"

"Mission, think for a moment; you know more hiding places than I do, and I used to lead the Beks as a resistance cell when the Mandalorians showed up. If Kairi, Carth, and their Republic friend are to evade capture from the Sith, their fate is in _your_ hands."

She swallowed hard. "Y…Yes, sir."

He stepped out from behind the desk and looked Kairi up and down, his silver eyes unblinking. "As for the two of you, let's do this the old fashioned way. I'll have the mechanics take you both down to our track. Whoever gets the fastest time gets to race for the Beks. Even if you fail, one of my own riders could still come through. Best of luck."

They shook on it.

The practice track was not far, of course. Zaerdra escorted Kairi and Carth down to it and gave the mechanic brusque directions to test them both out on the swoops.

"Tuula," she said to an Ithorian who was rummaging through a toolbox. "We have some riders who are willing to test that accelerator. Gadon wants to use the old-fashioned method to see who'll qualify for the race."

Tuula looked them up and down. _"But we don't have that accelerator, and it's too close to the race to rebuild –"_

Zaerdra cut him off, tossing the accelerator to him. It was heavy enough for Tuula to stagger back when he caught it.

"_How?"_

"Ask them," she said before walking back into the lift.

Carth whistled low as he saw the swoops being pulled out of the loading bay. Lovingly polished and immaculately maintained, racing swoops were barely anything more than a powerful engine with a small, uncomfortable seat, most of them having five gears from fast to insane. The paneling was, of course, in Bek colors, and the gang's symbol was proudly displayed on the cowling. He'd been on swoops before, when he was younger and stupider, but never on a racing model like this one. Even though he was old enough to know better, there was still a fighter-jock part of him that itched to hop on and see if they lived up to their wicked reputation.

Kairi's small hand brushed the side of hers, scowling slightly. He knew her well enough by now; she was futilely trying to remember if she had ever ridden one of these.

"Kairi, you don't have to. If you don't think you can…"

She accepted a racing helmet from the Ithorian mechanic and heavily put it on the seat. "I have no way to know. All I can focus on is the next action, the next step we must take, the next bend in the road. Anything at all beyond _next_, and…" She shuddered, and took the helmet again. Putting it on her head, she swung onto the bike's seat and fastened the harness.

Carth put his own helmet on. It was too easy to forget that Kairi was more lost than he was.

Her hands danced across the controls. What else could she say? Half them time, she felt like she was trapped in a waking dream. Nothing felt real, and she was not in control of her own body or reflexes. The past was a void, the future was a gray nothingness. Only the moment, and the next moment…that's why she willingly surrendered to the trance-like state that came, relinquishing conscious control of her body to some forgotten knowledge.

_3…2…1…_

If she stopped to think, she would falter. If she faltered, she would die.

_Go!_

She kicked the foot control on the swoop, weaving through the obstacles. Carth was parallel to her for most of the race, and they barely avoided colliding. He was just about to overtake her when a pop-up wall activated in front of them. They veered opposite directions to evade the obstacle in their path, and Kairi recovered a split second faster to hit an accelerator pad and boost her swoop into a higher gear. Carth was right on her heels, and Kairi had to hunch over and ride harder. She almost jumped when she hit the accelerator pad, trusting the swoop, looking for obstacles ahead.

_The swoop wants to go fast. It wants the accelerator pads. It doesn't want the obstacles… _She just had to trust it to do so.

She kicked it up into the highest gear. If she were not in such a trance-like state, she would have frozen with fear or shut her eyes. The disconnect put that fear far away as the path of changing obstacles and accelerator pads sped past her. She was aware of going quickly, but could see and anticipate the obstacles just as easily at this speed as she could at the lowest.

She crossed the finish line and the swoop spent another half-lap around the track to slow to a halt. Kairi sat at the controls, not daring to move, and not aware for several seconds that she had stopped.

"Kairi?" Carth's voice. Just as it so often had, it pulled her back to reality. Shakily, she unbuckled the harness and let him and the Bek's Ithorian mechanic help her down.

"I'm surprised I made it through in one piece!" she exclaimed.

"And beat my time by a full second!" Carth said with amazement. "I'm starting to wonder if there's anything you can't do!"

She glanced back at the swoop. "I'm starting to wonder that myself." But there wasn't any amazement in her statement – just fear.

****

The Taris swoop track was in a sector of the Lower City far removed from the main streets that Kairi and Carth had traveled. The track itself was an old transit tunnel, and the audience watched on monitors via cameras attached to the swoop's cockpit, giving a racer's eye view of the action. Another set of cameras focused on the swoop pits where a Duros sat at a desk in the middle, announcing the race. Various computers in the stands translated the announcements to Basic or other common languages.

As to the rules, each player raced a maximum of five heats, and at the end of the night, the winner was the racer with the fastest time. The only others were; dodge the obstacles, hit the accelerator pads and hang on for dear life.

The prizes were plentiful. The Beks had put up a top quality set of Echani-style armor. One of the smaller gangs put in five hundred credits, another minor gang put up a case full of fine Corellian brandy. There was even a prize from Davik - an elegant set of energy shields.

Kairi was only interested in one prize, though. The Vulkar contribution to the pot was rolled out next to the race announcer's desk. Two large men guarded the cage and the woman inside. She'd been put in an outfit fit for a prostitute, and she looked like she'd been weakened by her treatment. Worse, a neural disruptor collar was clamped tight around her neck.

Kairi sneaked up to the rear of the cage. "Bastila?"

From underneath her long, light brown hair, a blue-gray eye cracked open and looked at her. The disruptor collar would make it hard for her to think, much less use any Force powers she may have had.

"Hey!" one of the guards shouted. "No one gets near the merchandise until after the race!"

Kairi backed off, more from a cold feeling of déjà vu than from the Vulkar guard. According to the files, this was her employer. But there was something else...something that made her curse her lost memory.

****

Opening ceremonies were elaborate, a march of gang colors and banners, presentation of the prizes and praise to the gang leaders. Swoop races were a matter of great ceremony to the Lower City.

As Kairi and the Beks' mechanic made last-minute adjustments to the bike, a Rodian racer named Doba came by to watch. He was dressed in the bright yellow of the Demons, a primarily Rodian gang currently allied with the Vulkars. _"Hey, look at this; fresh meat on the track. And Bek colors, too. Gadon must be desperate if he is taking first timers off the street!" _

Kairi looked up, raising her racing goggles. "Do you know what the time to beat is?"

_"Thirty-eight seconds, rookie. And we've already had one rider that has crashed and died on the tracks. Don't get your hopes up. No first timer ever WINS the season opener. Most of them just die in it."_

"I've no intentions of dying. Not today," she answered simply.

_"Vulkars put in Redros. He's the champion - best there is. When the Vulkars beat you all, then it'll be over for Gadon and his old ways. Vulkars savage and strong. Vulkars better!"_

"Savage doesn't necessarily mean strong," Kairi said, picking up her helmet. "And those who know their strength needn't go around trying to prove it."

On the way out, a leather-skinned alien in a flashy speedsuit of Vulkar orange shoved her. He spoke Basic with a thick, growling accent. "What is this tiny human FEMALE in Bek colors? Beks must be scraping the barrel. Give a stupid person a helmet and you think you're a racer."

"Redros, I presume," she said. Digging the knife a little further, she added. "I heard you Vulkars need to work on security."

"Beks hire mercenaries. They were too cowardly to send their members against us. No Bek could stand up to us!"

She buckled on her helmet as her swoop was towed to the track. "Certain about that?"

Buckled in the tight cockpit, Kairi reached down and gave a final test of the controls. Too much was riding on her swoop - literally.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and chased the void. Disconnect from herself, allow the void within her to take control…

3...2...1...

GO!

Her swoop took off like a cannon shot, and Kairi held on. Narrowly sweeping past an obstacle, she hit one of the pads as she shifted to second.

The kick from it was amazing! Dodge, hit pad, dodge, dodge, shift...Strangely enough, there was no fear this time. It was almost like when she was playing Pazaak against Niklos.

_Find the patterns, see the patterns, and then follow the patterns._

At fourth gear, the world turned into one gray blur. Dodge, dodge, hit pad, dodge. She swerved past an obstacle, but the swoop behind her was not so lucky, crashing into it head-on., and practically vaporizing on impact.

She breathed, and the track seemed to slow, picoseconds dilating in her perceptions. She knew which obstacles would rise, could see the timing and the patterns behind the layout of the accelerator pads.

She hit the gravity field at the finish line that slowed her bike to a stop, and halted the wild ride. Kairi was grinning like a fool when she stepped off. Her heart raced, her body tingled. Oh, she wanted to do that again!

_"And Kairi Niko of the Hidden Beks beats Redros's time -- thirty-five and a half seconds!"_ said the announcer.

The Bek riders cheered, jumping up and down and making gestures of approval. An Aqualish named Phirk patted her on the back. _"Incredible. It's not just the accelerator! I've never seen a rookie handle a bike like that!"_

Anglu, a Twi'lek racer from the Double Blades, a Bek ally, also seemed impressed. "_I was sure you would die on the track, but to see you out there was amazing! I hope Redros learned his lesson!"_

Tuula rushed up to her. _"You did it, Kairi Niko. You have the top time! You beat racers who have been doing this their whole lives! Someone who's never ridden a swoop before..."_

Kairi couldn't be certain if she had or not. Either way, the experience was something she'd not soon forget.

The second round of races brought the numbers down to ten - three forfeiting, three crashing (one sustaining fatal injuries), and four in the finals. Redros and Kairi's times became the talk of the track.

_"And Redros of the Black Vulkars posts a record-setting thirty-two seconds!" _announced the Duros. "We have not had a race like this in twenty years!"

"_Even with the accelerator,_" said Tuula, _"You may not beat that. And the swoop is getting unstable. It's risky to try another lap."_

"I have to try, Tuula," she said. "Otherwise the Vulkars win it all - including Bastila's life, and destruction of the Beks. I know what's riding on my swoop. If I don't make it...then maybe one of the others can."

_"You wear the Bek colors with pride, human. I will pray to the great Gods of flight for you as you go on the tracks."_

"Thank you, Tuula."

She was strapped in again, but feeling a bit less of the exhilaration she did last time. She'd make history or die trying. The countdown began, and Kairi forced herself to clear her mind. The race was the only thing in the universe right now, and everything would go into it...

First gear...

She swung wide to hit the first pad, throwing her forward with a sickening lurch of speed. She dodged an obstacle and quickly pulled up to avoid the remains of a less fortunate swoop.

Second gear.

Dodge, dodge, hit pad...

Third gear...

Swerve, hit pad, and swerve.

Fourth gear...

CRASH! She glanced off the side of a debris pile and the swoop started to shake. It was barely controllable, and the gauges were flashing warnings...

In the audience, Mission turned away, unable to look, while Carth couldn't prevent himself from looking. Zaalbar let out a groan of dismay.

In the cage, a surge of willpower from Bastila and the fasteners on the collar started to come loose with a little telekinesis.

On the track, Kairi decided to risk it.

Fifth gear.

Flames and smoke burst from the back, and the track rushed by at a blur. The swoop was shaking, the alarms were blaring. A piece of paneling sheared off and soared backwards. The swoop was falling apart, but the end of the line was so close...

She swerved right, hit the pad and let it push her further. The engines belched fire and the left one let out a tremendous boom. The swoop hit the gravity field at the end of the course, and what was left of it slowed drastically. She pulled one of the cockpit's pins and the other snapped away. The cockpit shot backwards and the engines blasted forward, hitting the wall and bursting into flames. The metal plate underneath her shrieked and threw off sparks before it spun into a wall, severing the safety harness and allowing her to roll away.

In the cage, the clasp had come undone, and Bastila's hand reached up, pulling it off her neck and dropping it to the ground...

Carth put a hand on Mission's shoulder. Zaalbar straightened, closing his eyes and starting to say a prayer to the gods in his native tongue...

And out from the tunnel, walked Kairi Niko, taking off her helmet and smiling to the awestruck crowd. A cheer burst from them, loud and approving.

_"Kairi Niko crosses the finish line, so the referees say it counts! Twenty-six seconds! There has never been a time like that - ever! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the winner of the Taris Lower City swoop race...Kairi Niko of the Hidden Beks!"_

Kairi bowed graciously.

Brejik, however, was not very gracious. He shoved the Duros announcer from his seat and threw him aside.

"Hear me, all of you! The Bek's cheated - they used a non-member as their rider, and used a prototype accelerator! Unfair advantages!"

One of the smaller gang leaders, a Twi'lek man, made a gesture of contempt. "Shut up, Brejik. There is nothing against what Gadon did."

"They stole that accelerator from us!"

"You're a liar, Brejik!" Kairi said. "The Beks invented that prototype, and _your_ gang attempted to steal it!"

Mutters abounded. The situation was tense. It was broken by a voice from the back, the words spoken in Twi'lek.

_"Kairi Niko speaks the truth! The Black Vulkars have dishonored themselves!"_

It was Tal, the old Vulkar gang member Kairi had refused to kill back at the base. He jumped into the swoop pit and charged right up to Brejik.

"Tal...I will not abide this insult!"

_"Your insult was killing off the old members, the slaughter in the streets, and your cowardly behavior! I have been a Vulkar for twenty years...when it had honor. You have no honor. Kairi Niko and the Beks not only won the race fairly, they surpassed your theft and dishonor in order to do so!"_

Brejik turned to his Vulkars. "We spit on this sham - and withdraw our share of the prize!"

The gathered members gasped. The Duros announcer was stunned. _"That...that is just not done. It violates all of our codes and traditions."_

"Curse them," Brejik spat. "They mean nothing. Hear me - my way is the way of the future! I'll sell her on the slave market and none of you can stop me!"

"Oh, I think I have something to say about that..." The lock on the cage snapped apart, the door flying and hitting one of the Vulkar guards. Bastila stepped forward. Throwing out a hand, a Vulkar guard flew backwards! The double-bladed staff of the Vulkar guard, meanwhile, sailed into her hand.

"How...how...?" Brejik was stunned enough to quit his ranting. Kairi had already pulled out her sword and run up to Bastila's side.

"You underestimate the strength of a Jedi's mind, Brejik." Bastila's blue-gray eyes narrowed. "And it's going to be your last mistake."

"Vulkars - to me! Kill the woman! Kill the Bek's rider! Kill them all!"

The scene quickly turned to chaos. All-out war broke out in the pits, the audience...everywhere. And most of the attacking was against the Vulkars! The smaller gangs started fighting along with the Beks!

Kairi pulled her sword and guarded Bastila's back as the two plowed their way through the Vulkars in the pit areas, racing for the exits. "Maybe those bloody Vulkars will think twice before trying to keep a Jedi in chains. And as for you, if you think you can collect me as a prize..."

Kairi didn't know what to say - between recognizing Bastila's face from the dream, and this strange attitude of hers...

"Wait..." Bastila looked closely at Kairi's face. "I don't believe this...you..."

"Bastila, right?" Kairi said hesitantly, feeling like an utter fool. "I'm Kairi Niko...your...Well, I was the translator you brought aboard the _Spire_."

"I know who you are, Kairi, just..." Now it was her turn to seem a little stunned. "However did you wind up racing for some swoop gang?"

"It's a long story, and no time to explain it now."

Brejik and four Vulkars blocked their way to the audience areas, shock-sticks drawn. Brejik had a badly-wounded Tal shoved against the wall.

"I'll show you...humiliating me in public!" Brejik roared, picking up his knife and preparing to run Tal through.

"Brejik!" Kairi shouted. "Let him be."

Brejik turned, hatred twisting his face. "You little shutta! You cost me EVERYTHING!"

"A thief has no right to complain when he's been robbed," quipped Bastila. "Now, Brejik, let the man go."

Three shots from the back felled Brejik's guards. It distracted Brejik long enough for Tal to palm a dagger from his sleeve, and use his last bit of strength to jam it through Brejik's throat.

_"Vulkars of old...we've been avenged..."_

Tal and Brejk slumped to the floor - dead.

Carth, Mission and Zaalbar came down the steps. "Bastila! You're all right! Finally, things are looking up." Carth rushed to her. "Come on."

"Commander Carth Onasi...you're alive? Well, that's good news. As far as rescues go, this has got to be one of the worst examples."

Mission shrugged. "I didn't see you doing any better."

Bastila gaped at her. "I got out of those restraints without your help, thank you VERY much. And you're lucky I helped with that fight. They would have killed you otherwise - it's more accurate to say I saved you."

"You can argue it to the Sith if we don't get the hell out of here," Carth said. "Mission - the fastest route to the hideout – hurry!"

* * *

**The End...?**

_Lightsabers crashed and sizzled as the three Jedi fought. The one known as Bastila was in the forefront, her yellow saber cutting down two Sith apprentices with ease._

_A pause in the battle as only one remained. Clad in Sith armor, all features obscured was their leader...Revan. The Dark One pulled out a red saber, powering it on and dropping into a fighting stance. _

_Two Jedi stood behind Bastila, and the battle raged outside. The Sith were losing, and the ship was doomed. _

_Her jaw set, her head high, Bastila looked directly into the masked face of the Sith ruler. "You cannot win, Revan!"_

_No move on Revan's part, and the tension so thick a lightsaber would not be able to cut it...a stalemate as each side waited for the other to make a move._

_Fate or treachery intervened. _

_An explosion rocked the bridge, and the Jedi struggled to keep their footing. A conduit behind Revan exploded, knocking the fallen Jedi to the floor, felled by a lethal combination of electricity and detonating plasma._

_Bastila ran up to the lifeless Sith, pulling off the heavy mask, her face registering surprise...and was it anticipation?_


	6. The Ebon Hawk

**Chapter 5**

**The Ebon Hawk**

After they fled the swoop track, Gadon had met them a short distance away in a speeder and whisked them off to the Bek hideout. From there, it was a great celebration. Brejik's behavior had been the proverbial nail in the coffin. The Vulkars scattered, and the Beks took home the prizes. While most of the spoils were cheerfully divided up among the gang, the winner's share had amounted to nearly a thousand credits and several useful items. Gadon insisted that Kairi take the Echani armor, too. It hadn't been a coincidence that it had been made small enough to fit her. They returned to their hideout to plat their next move, and things degenerated quickly.

"You don't have a plan to get off Taris yet?" Bastila threw up her hands. "What have you been doing all this time?"

"Trying to find and save you, remember?" Carth was getting quite close to losing his temper at Bastila as she paraded around the hideout. "I'm getting a little sick of your attitude - Jedi or not."

"You seem to forget that I'm in charge of this mission, Commander Onasi. I am a member of the Order, and was put in command of this. Don't forget that."

"You have a lot to learn about leadership, Bastila. A leader doesn't go in and start berating her troops just because things aren't going to plan, and a leader doesn't let her ego obscure the real issues."

"Without my Battle Meditation, the Republic would have lost this war already."

"Your gifts might win us a few battles, but that doesn't make you a leader! Another hint - take advice from your troops, especially ones who've seen more combat than you ever will!"

Kairi groaned. Enough of this, it was giving her a headache! "Both of you, please...this isn't helping."

"Beat me to it, Kairi," Mission said. "Those two have done nothing but bicker since we got here."

They may have retrieved Bastila, but they still were no closer to escaping the Sith than before. Meanwhile, Carth and Bastila seemed oblivious, as every new attempts at a plan led to an argument over who was in charge. Kairi looked at the chronometer on her wrist. Several hours had passed, and the only thing that progressed was the pounding in her skull and the hundred aching muscles from her wild ride on a swoop.

Scowling, Mission patted Kairi on the back. "Hey, I'm no expert on humans, but you look pale. Something wrong?"

"Just sore," she said with a wan smile. She looked up. "If it's all right with you, I'd like to take a walk. Maybe fresh air will help."

"I'll come with," said Mission. "If that's okay."

"Yes, please," Kairi said, the two of them walking out of the apartment.

Carth sat heavily in the chair Kairi vacated. "Well, we can't get hung up on who's in charge if we want to get out of here. We'll have to work together on this."

Bastila finally relented. "I suppose you're right. I've already been a prisoner of a gang, and I'm not keen on becoming a prisoner of the Sith. You had a good idea about the cantinas - they're usually overrun with smugglers, and we might find one who can break the blockade." Bastila's voice trailed off, and she stared at the door for a long time.

"What's on your mind?" Carth asked. "Or am I not allowed to know?"

Bastila shook her head. "Forgive me, Commander. Despite my training, I still act too rashly sometimes."

"Hey, I'm off the ship, so you don't have to call me by rank. Just 'Carth' will do."

She look from the door, to him, and back, as if weighing something in her head. "What can you tell me about Kairi?"

He looked at Bastila strangely. "Me? You hired her, shouldn't you know more about her? Even she can't tell me much about herself. There was a plasma explosion on the _Spire_. I've seen them literally fry a man's nervous system. She shoved me out of the way and took the hit. Hell, I'm surprised she's alive at all."

"I see, and it caused her to lose her memory? All of her memory?"

"That's right. Even took her to a doc here in the Upper City. According to him, she probably won't ever recover the memories. Thing that gets me, though? You'd think she'd be really bothered about not being able to remember who she is, but...well, I think she's more worried about everyone else."

"I actually had little to do with her actual hire. She was brought aboard because she speaks at least twenty galactic languages. I didn't really she would be able to...Well, I shall have to watch her carefully."

Carth was also watching the door. "Kairi...seems to know how to get under someone's skin..." He shot a glance over to Bastila. "She's pried things out of me that I thought I'd never tell anyone."

She smiled wryly. "Certain it's not her feminine wiles?"

"Not just me, Bastila. I've seen her pry things out of gang leaders, Outcasts, even this Mandalorian the local crime boss put on payroll. She even played this Pazaak shark in the Cantina to a standstill...I think she could charm credits out of a Hutt."

Bastila scowled slightly. "And she usually fights with that vibroblade?"

"Like she was born with one in her hand!" Folding his arms, he looked at her skeptically. "You still say she's just a translator?"

"She manifested none of these things when she was with me on the _Spire_. Yes, she had basic weapons training..."

"Basic? Bantha pile!"

"Carth, language!"

"That lady's better with a damn vibroblade than most Republic officers! And I know she isn't lying to me -"

"Are you so sure about that?"

It was a crude tactic, but it worked. "Damn you, anyway."

Bastila sighed. "I'd like to talk with her in private. Maybe it will settle some of my suspicions."

"Suspicions?" Carth did not like the sound of this.

"Nothing about her trustworthiness, Carth. It's...other things I see in her that give me reason to be concerned."

****

Mission promised to take Kairi to the best spot in the Upper City to watch the sunset. It was part of the Maze, a daredevil climb on rusted ladders and makeshift ledges. Kairi's bruised muscles still shrieked, but she welcomed the pain somewhat. It brought her back to the present.

"C'mon, Kairi! Just a few more rungs!"

"I'm coming...just...just bruised, that's all."

Mission helped Kairi up the last couple rungs. They were sitting on the viewing deck of a very old and mostly abandoned building. In Taris's heyday, this must have been a popular tourist attraction. Now, the stone benches sat empty, and the view scopes had been corroded by rust and age, their lenses opaque. On Taris, the sun set in the east, and it cast an incredible orange-rose glow over the faded city, almost restoring it to the beauty it must have been. Mission smiled.

"I haven't come here since Griff left. Big Z is too big and heavy to get up here, and it's just too pretty to come here alone. Things like this...they gotta be shared."

"Griff...is that your brother?"

Mission nodded. "I'm sorry about getting snappish with you earlier. Guess I'm still a little touchy when it comes to Griff." She hunched over, studying her feet. "Its kinda embarrassing talking about my brother."

"Embarrassing? How so?" Kairi then held up her hand. "If you don't want to tell me about it, that's fine."

"No, it's okay. Zaalbar's a good listener, but it might be nice to talk about this to someone who doesn't respond in growls and grunts. Griff...well, he raised me. Taught me must everything I knew - how to slice computers, pick locks, spot a wealthy mark for a quick shell game...he did right by me."

"Those sound like handy skills to have," Kairi concurred.

_Because it's those skills that make this child a useful ally and tool. She will have no use once you depart Taris. You must discard her.._a coldly analytical part of her whispered. Kairi shook her head to dismiss the thought. No, Mission had helped too much and asked for so little already.

Mission continued speaking. "Yeah. I remember how we got to Taris. I was only five. We had to smuggle ourselves here in a packing crate. Griff owed the wrong people money...maybe there was a warrant out for him. He gambled, and drank, and was always in debt - borrowing money for some get-rich quick scheme. But that just makes him sound worse than he is." She sighed. "Still, I really miss him. He said he'd be back for me someday."

"Why did he leave?"

Mission shook her head. "Lena's the reason why. She worked at Javier's Cantina as a dancer. Well, Griff could be a real smooth talker, and soon those two were dating. Lena was used to dating guys like bounty hunters or gamblers - guys with tons of credits. That table-dancing tramp gets her hooks on him, and off he went - leaving me behind!"

"That...doesn't sound like a very brotherly thing to do."

Mission shrugged. "Show him a pretty set of head-tails, and he's done for. It wasn't too long after he left that I met Zaalbar, though."

They stared off into the sunset in silence until the sun slipped behind the skyline and the skies began to turn purple. Mission placed her hand on Kairi's shoulder. Kairi almost winced from the contact. It would have been easy enough to chalk it up to the pain she was already feeling, but it was...different, like how she felt at the Sith party. Unlike the choking lust and inebriation, though, she was surrounded by concern, friendship, good cheer...Mission was guileless and open with an unalloyed optimism and trust. That cold part of her didn't like it a bit, and retreated like ice before the sun.

"What's it like, Kairi? Not...not having a past?"

Kairi stared into the fading light in the east. "It's...it's seeing everything like it was the first time. It's knowing things, but not _how_ you know them. And when I try to remember anything that happened...it's like being at the edge of a pit where you can't see the bottom." She looked over at Mission. "It's...safer to just live in the present, rather than try to jump in that pit."

She seemed to understand that, nodding her head. "Hey, you're still a great person, Kairi. You and Carth have got to be the best humans I've ever run into. Most humans just assume that because I have a set of _lekku,_ that I don't have any brains."

"Well," Kairi said, placing her hand on Mission's. "Another good thing about no memory; no preconceptions."

Mission grinned. "C'mon, we'd better head back before it gets too dark, and Big Z starts wondering where we went. He can be SUCH a worry-wart sometimes!"

When they reached the Upper City walkway on the way home, they were approached by a green-skinned Twi'lek man.

"You there, human. You are the rider who won the Great Swoop Race. I was told to deliver a message to you. Take this datapad, please."

She nodded and took it, and the Twi'lek man vanished into the Maze. The datapad was a cheap, disposable model. On it, was a brief message:

_Miss Niko,_

_You know I've been watching you already. That swoop race was the last bit of convincing I needed. Meet me in the Upper City Cantina at the tenth hour. Don't keep me waiting._

_- Canderous_

When she got back, Zaalbar and Carth were engrossed in upgrading their weapons. Mission hit the kitchen to find something to eat. Bastila was sitting by the window. Kairi approached and sat next to her.

"You look like you want to speak with me," Kairi said.

"How did you...?" She stopped herself and shook her head. "I guess Carth wasn't exaggerating. I'd like to know what happened, though. Between you and Carth crashing on Taris and you finding me. I doubt there were flashing signs pointing in my direction."

Kairi shrugged.

"You also avoided detection by the Sith, discovered I was a Vulkar prisoner, gained the support of their rivals, and became Taris's swoop champion. Quite the list of accomplishments."

"It wasn't all my doing, Bastila. Carth was there, as was Mission and Zaalbar. And you did help with those Vulkars. It was the Hidden Beks' swoop bike, too."

"You're modest, and that's admirable." Bastila said. "But I did talk to the others, and they all confirm that you were the catalyst."

Kairi was confused. "Well...Maybe."

Bastila shook her head. "Kairi, I took you on for your skill at languages, and none of us could have expected so much from you. It...it would take a Jedi, drawing heavily upon the Force, in order to get this far this fast."

"All I did was trust my instincts. That's all I have, really," Kairi said. "This talk of the Force, Bastila..."

"The Force works through all of us, Kairi, and it's nothing to fear. As for what to make of it, well if you weren't -" she stopped herself.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm starting to get into things best left to the Council. For now, just know that you've got a gift, Kairi. Between those gifts, my Jedi training, and the skills of our companions, we might just find a way out of this mess."

Kairi smiled. "I think...we may have some help with that." She handed Bastila the datapad.

****

The Upper City Cantina never seemed to have a slow hour. It was just as busy at midday as when she had visited in the evening several days earlier. Sure enough, the iron-eyed man was waiting for her at a table, nodding when she made eye contact. Carth and Bastila walked to a table just out of earshot. Canderous no doubt noticed this, but said nothing.

She slid into the chair. "How is your arm?"

A chuckle from him. "You certainly are a strange one. Cut down a half-dozen Vulkars with barely an eye blink, but the first thing you ask is about a stranger's health." He looked up. "It's healed nicely. Now, I saw you in the swoop race. Very impressive. You seem like you know how get results. That's just the kind of person I'm looking for."

Kairi straightened. "Is that why you were watching me, Mister...?"

"Canderous Ordo is my name. And call it friendly interest. There aren't a lot of people on Taris that get my attention - but you certainly did. Now, I think I have a deal for you, Miss Niko. One you'd be interested in."

"Well, I'm listening."

"You already know I work for Davik. The hours aren't great, and I've nothing better to do. Davik promised me a fortune, and Mandalorian mercs are in high demand."

Kairi leaned in. "But I can tell, he's cheating you - in more ways than one."

"You can tell, eh?" Canderous seemed to take this under consideration. "You're right. He's not paying what he promised, and this job is going nowhere. Figure it's time to get off this planet."

"It's true, then? Davik has a ship that's fast enough."

"Yes, but what he doesn't have is the launch codes - that's where you come in."

"Again, I'm listening."

"I have a plan, but I can't be breaking into the Sith military base to get those codes without it getting traced right back to Davik. However, anyone crazy enough to race like that might just be crazy enough to sneak past the Sith and get those codes. With those codes, we take out the defenses and run the blockade. I figure that Republic man you've got is a half-decent pilot."

"Actually, he's a rather good one."

"A good Republic pilot is only half-decent in my book," Canderous said. "Anyway, you get those codes, and I can get you the _Ebon Hawk_. We all get off this planet together."

Kairi didn't believe him to be lying. "Sounds fair. How am I to get in the base?"

Canderous smiled. "Janice Nall has a special droid she's making just for that purpose. It'll slice Sith security and get you in. Davik paid for the droid, but I'm the one he put in charge of this job. He won't care how we get those codes.

"So, I steal the codes, you get me to the ship - we steal the ship and we all get off Taris."

Folding his arms, he nodded.

"It's a deal."

"This authorizes you to pick up the droid," he said, handing her a datachip. "I'll be waiting for you at Javyar's in the Lower City - twenty four hours from now. Have those codes, and I'll get you the ship."

The droid shop owner was a Twi'lek woman who was dressed in technician's coveralls, aside from the velvet scarves she wrapped around her head-tails, the subtle colors and soft fabric both eye-catching and indicative of someone that could make the most of modest means. Upon seeing them, she stopped working on the small droid she had on the floor and smiled broadly.

_"A customer? Come in, come in! I'm Janice Nall - welcome to my droid shop!"_

"You've a nice shop here," Kairi said. "We're interested in a utility droid." Kairi handed over the datachip. "Canderous sent us."

_"Yes, indeed. And with the payment in advance. These codes check out. I hope Davik appreciates him!"_

She opened the door to the back room that passed as a "showroom," though it most often was used for repairing the droids that came into her store. _"Customers are hard to come by sometimes. A lot of Upper Taris citizens won't come shop here, not at a store owned by a Twi'lek."_

Mission rolled her eyes. "Ain't that the truth!"

"What is it that they have against Twi'leks, anyway?" Kairi was having trouble understanding the Upper City. She might not remember much, but she knew what got on her nerves.

_"Twi'leks are tolerated in the Upper City, but they'd rather see us dancing in cantinas than owning successful businesses. I've learned not to dwell on it. I just stay focused on running my store."_

"You'd think people would be a little more tolerant in this day and age." Carth sighed. "Guess stupidity and ignorance will never go out of style."

Janice motioned them to follow, and walked up to the droid in the center of the shop. A meter high at the tallest, it had a dish-shape head and a triangular body. A single photoelectric "eye" was in the middle of its head. The silver-colored plating was lovingly polished. As it moved along on its tracks, it whirred smoothly, a sign of careful maintenance and fastidious craftsmanship.

_"This is T3-M4. He's small, tough, and has a surprising amount of firepower!"_ She beamed proudly. _"And there's no better security slicer or code breaker on the planet...not that I condone anything illegal, of course."_

"Of course," Kairi said. "And he's certainly a handsome little fellow."

In response, T3 chirped and beeped, his chrome "head" looking up at her.

_"And he likes you, too."_ Janice patted T3 and smiled. _"Droids are very temperamental sometimes - like children. They're all very unique, too. Programming and memory wipes can alter it somewhat, but at the core, their personality doesn't change - it's why I like them so much."  
_

****

They got the droid home and Kairi inserted the datachip. Contained on it were schematics and a shift schedule for the nearby Sith base.

"You'd think that Mandalorian was setting up a damn trap," Carth said.

"More like a test," Kairi said, making another check of the base schematics. "He wants to see if we can do it as much as he wants those codes."

"Confirming my theory that Mandalorians are crazy."

"Actually, it surprises me how solid his plan is," Bastila said. "And I sensed no deception from him while Kairi was talking. He does need our help, and it may indeed be the only way off the planet."

Kairi sat cross-legged on the floor. "Chances are, the codes would be in the governor's office." She pointed to the floor grid. "As commander of the base, he's be the ones authorizing ships to land and depart."

"And he has a private hangar, it seems," Bastila pointed out. "The administration level would be easy to access from the roof, it seems. The only problem would be transporting T3-M4."

"Hold on, you go waltzing in there, and you'll be up to your eyeballs in Sith guards," Carth said. "And the only thing you'll get is a nasty death. The droid's programmed to head in the front doors. Between that and the security papers, we could probably bluff our way to a terminal. We get T3 to slice it, and we could probably get the codes and get out before anyone figures us out."

"You know the Sith, Carth," Bastila countered. "Anything of true value won't be accessible on a common terminal. The governor would be the only one likely to have them."

"Both of you have a point, and we have enough people to try both plans," Kairi pointed out. "Carth, if you took Zaalbar and T3 through the front entrance, your plan could work. Even if you can't get the codes, you could certainly cause a distraction. Bastila, T3 can't climb down from the roof, but Mission can."

"I've sliced Sith systems before." Mission said. "Elevator systems and building access codes, mostly. They're tough, but I can handle it."

"Mission, this is quite dangerous," Bastila said. Kairi raised her hand.

"Dangerous, yes, but she has been invaluable. We wouldn't be having this conversation without her help."

Mission blinked twice, as though uncertain she heard that. Then, she started smiling. Kairi's eyes narrowed. "But, Mission. This is not some errand for the Beks or adventure in the Undercity. With this, you will be taking on something much larger and infinitely more dangerous."

She stood up. "I made my choice, Kairi. I'm with you."

Bastila shifted position in her chair. She hated all of this, really. It wasn't the danger, so much. A Jedi's life was often filled with danger enough for several lifetimes. She'd also been on strike teams before, including the one that took down Revan. Yet, staking their lives on a deal made with a Mandalorian mercenary out to betray his employer? Trusting an adolescent Twi'lek with such a monumental task? There was also Kairi herself. What she had taken aboard the _Spire_ was a diplomatic aide without combat or tactical experience.

_The Force has been awakened in her...along with what _else_?_

****

They decided they would strike in the middle of the night, when there were the fewest personnel on duty. That left them time to use their earnings from the swoop race to gather supplies.

Stealth belts were a favorite among thieves, and illegal on most planets unless one had a license. This, of course, meant that the Lower City's black market had plenty in stock. A stealth field warped light and sound in a field around their wearers, cloaking them and making them quite hard to detect.

Engaging the belts, the three women slipped in via the hanger. It was a long, steep climb down thin grappling line. None dared look down, seeing the thousand-meter plunge that awaited a misstep.

With the belts engaged, they were able to sneak successfully to past the guard. Opening the door into the base would give them away, though.

That's where Bastila came in.

Mission crept up to the computer terminal and started slicing while Bastila made a small gesture towards the guard.

"You're feeling very tired."

Astoundingly, the guard yawned, stretching his arms and lolling his head as though it were hard to stay awake.

Bastila's eyes were dim and unfocused as she continued her suggestions. "The closet looks awfully comfortable. I'll bet your superior wouldn't notice if you took a nap in there..."

Shuffling to the supply locker, the sleepy guard stepped in and closed the door behind him. Bastila made another gesture, and the padlock on the outside of it snapped shut.

That gave Mission enough room to finish jamming the security on the door. It swung open and the three made it inside.

T3-M4's code undid the lock, and Carth hoped the Sith Security papers and a generous amount of bluffing would do the needed trick. Zaalbar's hands were tied behind his back in a pair of cuffs that didn't shut properly. Oh, well, it was all for looks anyway.

They rolled right up to reception, and Carth threw the papers on the desk in front of the woman on duty.

"Listen, sister," He was layering on the arrogance. "I've busted this alien scum for your bosses, and I expect my damn payment. Just wave me through so I can talk to them!"

She got up and paged through the papers. For a moment, Carth believed it would work, but she looked at him again, and her hand moved away from the door's switch towards the alarm. Carth reacted quickly, grabbing her wrist so hard he hoped he didn't break any bones.

"What? You think because I'm pretty I must also be stupid? Those papers are expired, and there's no arrest warrants here for...for whatever that is behind you. Tell me what you are doing here, or I hit that alarm and call every soldier on the base!"

"Listen, lady. I don't want to hurt you." His hand went for his holster. The frightened woman began to babble.

"Don't...don't shoot! I never wanted any part of this! I would have quit when the Sith took over, but they said they wouldn't let me!"

Carth let her wrist go. "Get out of here. Move!"

She ran out the door like a blaster shot.

T3 rolled up to the reception terminal and gave a set of cheery beeps as he sliced in. Carth pressed his comlink.

"Team B - we're in!"

Kairi responded. "So are we - east side of the base. Which way has fewer guards?"

"T3 is on it...damn, it's locking him out. Says that the governor's personal codes are needed. Checking..."

The sound of a door sliding open and blaster shots followed.

"Go right! Elevator's at the end of the hall, past the control room," he said before ducking under the desk to dodge incoming fire.

Four soldiers and an officer had poured in, filling the room with a hail of blaster fire. Zaalbar let out a terrible howl and charged right at them, dodging shots with a speed Carth never thought possible for something that large. With a large angry growl that sounded like a curse and probably was, the large Wookiee grabbed the officer by the chest, lifted him up, then spun around to use the unfortunate man as a shield for an incoming volley of blaster fire before hurling the body into the squadron, bowling them over. With another furious swipe of his enormous paw, he clobbered over another guard, his neck bending unnaturally as he hit the floor. The last guard found out what a Wookiee's punch could do.

Screaming with anger, Zaalbar turned around looking for anyone else that was attacking. Carth ducked beneath the reception desk as Zaalbar came charging.

"Hey, Zaalbar, hold it!"

Another shout and Carth narrowly dodged the paw coming for him.

"Hey, buddy! It's me...Carth...Kairi and Mission's friend, remember?"

As if his brain suddenly snapped into place, Zaalbar stopped his charge, and Carth would swear until his dying day that the Wookiee blushed!

T3-M4 warbled a few singsong notes. Carth checked the terminal. The little droid was still plugged in, and had locked down the room. The three of them were safe for the moment, but Carth didn't know how much longer that would last.

"Good job, T3. Now, let's see if we can give them something to worry about other than us."

Mission sliced the lock to the security control room. Unfortunately, the warping effect that made stealth belts so useful also made them impossible to fight in them, as sight and sound were warped in such a way that they wouldn't be able to shoot or strike accurately.

They planned for this, too. Bastila's double-bladed, yellow saber flared to life. Kairi pulled her vibrosword, and Mission had a heavy blaster in hand.

They expected a fight, and they got one.

Three technicians were caught unawares, cut down before any of them could reach the alarm, but they did engage the security droids, and those were even more trouble. Their poor aim was easy enough to work around. Their armor plating wasn't. It took several shots from Mission's blaster to fell one, and Kairi struggled to get an opening to jam her sword into the circuitry. Bastila's lightsaber, on the other hand, sliced their armor like it was tissue paper.

Mission reached the console before Kairi's communicator flared to life again.

"Team A to team B!" Carth's voice was the most welcome sound there could be. "Do you copy?"

"I'm here," Kairi said. "What happened?"

"Tell Mission I got to see what a ticked-off Wookiee looks like. We've got your wing sealed off, but the Sith's pulled the alarm. I can't tell how long we have. You've GOT to get those codes."

Mission looked up. "Got it! I've also provided a little distraction for our Sith friends."

"What kind of distraction?"

Mission snickered. "Nothing much. Just all those security droids are reading THEM as the enemy. Between that and a couple overloaded conduits...I'd say we've bought ourselves a little time. Come on!"

The lift sped them up to the governor's quarters. Compared to the brightly-lit and sterile atmosphere of the base below, the penthouse apartment was richly decorated. Artwork hung from the walls, a soft carpet covered the metal floor. Several large plants thrived beneath the vast skylight, which was above most of the city lights, allowing faint light from the moon and stars. The workstation was in the far corner, and Mission made a beeline for it.

She had just started to reach for the entry pad when...

The lights flew on, blinding them all with blazing overhead light for a moment. Their eyes adjusted to the brightness just in time to see a man stride into the room. He was tall and broad-shouldered, carrying a double-bladed Echani staff. He ignored Mission, looking directly at the other two women.

"Who dares interrupt my meditation? Wait..." He gave a predatory smile. "The Force is strong with you...very strong..."

Kairi stepped slightly in front of Bastila. The man raised his weapon.

"Who would have thought Force Adepts could be found on this insignificant planet?" He chuckled. "I'll enjoy this. Your talents are no match for a disciple of the Dark Side..."

Bastila engaged her saber, the sun-yellow blades flaring to life. "You're only fooling yourself."

He reached out with one hand. Mission gasped, clutching her throat. Kairi's eyes went wide, and she rushed the governor, breaking his concentration and freeing Mission from his grasp. Unfortunately, he smacked her with the flat of his staff, sending her sprawling.

"Killing you three will be just what I need. My master will grant me my lightsaber for this..."

Before he could run Kairi through, Bastila's saber blocked the blow, allowing her to roll out of the way. Clash! Parry! Slash! A priceless oil painting was torn to shreds.

Kairi ran over to Mission, making a quick check. The Twi'lek girl was gasping, but she was still breathing. With a mouthed "Go," Mission pointed to the battle between the Sith governor and Bastila. Unfortunately, the cortosis-weave Echani design was holding up well to the lightsaber and what he lacked in dexterity over Bastila, he made up for in brute strength. Plus, Jedi did not wear armor - the man had no such prohibition.

Blows traded faster than the unaided eye could track, making them both almost a single blur of motion. He raised his hand, and Bastila was knocked backwards. While she was dazed, he lifted his blade and made aim for her neck.

Kairi was quicker, striking for his unarmored legs from behind. He dropped as she jammed the sword into the back of his knee. He tried to keep his balance, but the armor impeded that and he fell backwards. Kairi granted him a swift death with a quick stab to his throat.

Bastila quickly shook off the stun with the governor's demise. She assured Kairi she was all right. They then looked up to see Mission at the terminal, looking down at the now-dead governor. She shuddered and held up a datapad. "Got 'em."

Getting out of the base was easier than getting in, especially since Carth, T3, and Zaalbar had cleared the way for them. They already knew they'd not be able to go back to the hideout after this - fortunately, Mission's knack for knowing all the hiding places came in handy a last time as they spent the next few hours dodging the patrols charging after them as they escaped deep into the Lower City, not stopping until they were quite certain they had lost any pursuers.

Now, it was time for Canderous to live up to his end.

****

High above the planet, the Sith fleet hovered. Aboard the Leviathan, flagship of the Sith fleet, an imposing figure watched the planet below. His face was covered in a metal half-mask and his shaved head was decorated with vibrant blue tattoos that stood out against his ashen skin. His cold eyes had the look of dead stars.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his gray cape draped over his right shoulder, his red bodysuit standing out vividly among the sea of gray and black Sith uniforms and polished silver armor.

Approaching him was a man with graying hair and the rank bars of an Admiral. It was not the first time he addressed the Dark Lord directly, but a part of him often worried if the current approach would be the last.

"You summoned me, Lord Malak?"

Malak's voice was processed through a synthesizer on the mask, but it still held a blatant cruelty that no droid could ever match. The search for Bastila is taking too long. We cannot risk her escaping Taris. Destroy the entire planet."

"Lord Malak? The...the entire planet? But...there are billions of innocent civilians on Taris, not to mention thousands of our own troops on the surface."

Malak's eyes grew colder as he stared down the admiral. "Your predecessor made the mistake of questioning my orders, Admiral Karath. Surely you are not so foolish as to repeat his mistake."

Karath put up his hands in a placating gesture and backed away slowly. "Of...of course not, my Lord. I will do as you command, but it will take some time to get the fleet in position. I will begin immediately."

"Very well. Dismissed, Admiral."

Karath turned to the communications officer. "Hail the other ships, and tell the helm to get the _Leviathan_ into position."

***

Canderous was waiting for them, right on schedule, in the back room of Javyar's Cantina. He apparently expected her to bring the whole party, as he had staked out a large table.

"I figured you'd be back," he said. "None of us get off the planet unless we all worth together. I know you got into the Sith Base last night. And I know you've got the codes. So, what do you say? I've got the speeder parked right outside. We can go to Davik's base and right to the _Ebon Hawk_."

"What's your plan from there?"

"Davik's always looking for new talent for his organization. He had a front row seat to the swoop race. Too bad we had to leave just as it got entertaining." He was looking Bastila up and down and smiling knowingly as he said it.

Bastila ignored him – or pretended to. Canderous turned back to Kairi.

"He's been asking about you. That's why I got the idea in the first place. Once we're in, it'll be just the two of us. The rest of your crew can wait at my home - it's a block away."

"It sounds risky," Bastila said.

Kairi nodded. "I have the codes. You just get us to the ship."

"And the sooner we get off this rock, the better," he said.

****

Davik appointed himself like a king. A vast "throne room" sat in the middle of his estate, and large wings branched off from it. The "throne" itself was an imposing chair with an elaborate set of controls attached for monitoring and controlling various aspects of the estate.

Davik himself was a balding man in his late sixties, someone who likely obtained power by starting as a hired gun and either working or killing his way up the ranks. Calo Nord stood to his left, the scarily odd little man evaluating Kairi carefully.

"So, Canderous...I hear you've brought someone with you. Most intriguing if I say so myself. You usually travel alone."

"Not like you to take on partners, Canderous," Calo Nord said. "You're getting soft."

"Shut up, Calo. You may be the newest kath hound in the pack, but you're far from top dog."

Davik glowered at both men. "Enough! I will not having my top men killing each other - it's bad for business. I'm sure Canderous has a good reason for taking on a partner."

"Davik, this is Kairi Niko. I managed to convince her that there could be a place for her among the Exchange."

He walked right up to Kairi and grinned broadly. "Ah, yes. Good judgment, Canderous. I had a fine view of the swoop race, _and _the brawl afterwards. Very impressive." He smiled down at her. "Just what is your background anyway, young lady? Swoop gang? Freelance mercenary? Former soldier?"

Kairi throughly disliked this man. She remembered Leto. She remembered what Zelka told her. While she was able to bite back the urge to argue with him, her voice still came out sharper than she wanted. "I'm a translator, Mr. Kang."

Davik's eyebrows almost hit his receding hairline. "That so? Well, aren't you the surprise? An elegant fighter with top of the line brains. Not too often you find a combination like that." He took her hand and kissed it. Canderous was stone-faced, but Calo glowered at her skeptically, a bolt of suspicion and jealousy from the small man.

"Canderous was right, Miss Niko. The Exchange is always looking for new talent - and with a war going on, times are good. You could have a bright future with us."

****

Davik gave them a tour, and the centerpiece of it was the _Ebon Hawk_ herself. Kairi was stuck by the sleek lines of the freighter, the efficiency of its flat design and the strength of construction it suggested.

"You like it, Miss Niko? I'm glad," Davik said. "The _Ebon Hawk_ is the my pride and joy. She's the fastest ship on the Outer Rim, and just as strong as she is fast. My girl's born to run blockades - even the gun turrets are Aratech top-of the-line...better than the Czerka trash the Sith contract with."

Kairi was checking the layout of the hanger as she watched the ship - noting that the hanger security was just as tough. Automated turrets and ceiling-mounted cannons lined the bay. Without proper codes, she and Canderous wouldn't last more than a few seconds without meeting a nasty end.

"The _Hawk_ was born to run, but she's been grounded by the blockade. Progress in getting the launch codes to override the Sith automatic turrets has been slow going. With those, I could come and go as I wished." He motioned her to follow. "But we should continue the tour."

Davik showed them the slave quarters, the guard barracks, and the lavish entertainment room. This place was mind-numbing. Corruption, greed and defeat covered the walls like an invisible grime. As they toured the northwest wing, Kairi started to feel sick. From behind one of the few doors Davik didn't open, Kairi could hear the faint sound of human screams from behind it. Canderous elbowed her ribs and nodded to the door when Davik had his back turned. Kairi nodded a reply, already plotting the fastest routes from there to the hanger in her head.

The last stop was the guest wing. With instructions not to disturb his guests or trespass in unauthorized areas, Davik and Calo Nord left the room. The door closed, leaving Kairi and Canderous alone.

"All right, we're in. Now, all we have to do is override Davik's security and get off the planet. No sense in waiting here, though. Sooner we're off Taris, the better."

"Calo," Davik said.

"Yes, sir?"

"It's about Canderous. That Mandalorian's got something up his sleeve, and the woman he's with...as much as I like her, I wouldn't trust her, either."

"Want me to kill them, sir?"

"Not yet. I'll force them to make a move. It won't be long. When they do, you and I will be waiting in the hangar for them."

"They're going to try and steal the ship?"

"I know Canderous. He's already got those codes. All we have to do is pry them from his cold hands."

"I will render them cold, Mister Kang. And I'll enjoy it."

Canderous and Kairi had planned for this to be a rather simple affair. No sooner had the sound of Davik's and Calo's footsteps faded than Kairi's ears pricked up.

"Do you hear that?" she asked. "That high-pitched whine?"

"_Tayja!_" Canderous swore and dove for the ground, shoving Kairi down with him. Less than a second later, the trap went off, razor spikes shooting out from the ventilation and striking the wall rather than their heads. "_Besom'ad! _That Hutt-spawn must have figured out about the double cross! Come on!"

Sure enough, they had to battle their way through the corridors. Davik must have sent out the alert and intended to kill them. Just about every mercenary and guard on the payroll showed up. Canderous saw the high odds and started to grin. The old rush of battle hadn't lost a damn bit of charm.

He had his blaster cannon on him, and Kairi added her sword, slicing through the incompetent Rodian wannabes and the petty Tarisian gang members Davik kept at court.

Kairi was busy with three of them, parrying their vibroblades and dispatching them with quick efficiency. Canderous knew what her style certainly looked like, but his eyes had to be deceiving him. Despite her size and grace, she eschewed the dancing style of the Echani. No, this was a bit too direct. It almost looked like...

BOOM! The entire room shook. The power flickered.

"What in the -" Kairi looked around. "I don't think that was Davik's doing!"

"I've a bad feeling about this," Canderous grumbled. "Come on. This way."

In the far northwest corner was Davik's other guest wing - the one for unwanted guests. The room would have met with a Sith Admiral's approval - two torture chambers, and an array of pain inducing devices neatly displayed on a rack - electro-whips, laser scalpels, shock batons...apparently, Davik was one to prefer pain to blood as Kairi didn't see any of the cruder implements like knives and leather whips on display.

Two torture droids wheeled out from the wall, their spidery bodies displaying blasters, drugs, shockers, and other nasty appendages. Kairi ducked a syringe and hacked off the arm. Canderous took out half the head of the other with the blaster cannon. Kairi took off another couple arms before Canderous blasted the rest of it to bits.

With the droids gone, they could see the only occupant of the room. In a torture cylinder, was a pale-looking man. Kairi yanked the cage release. He shuddered and leaned against the wall.

"You...you have no idea what it was like in that cage. I...I don't know how long it would be before I went mad."

"I can't watch someone suffer," she said.

"My...my name's Hudrow. I tried to quit, and Davik threw me in here. I can't give you anything tangible as a reward." He smiled wanly. "But I've a better way to hurt Davik. Here, do you have a datapad?"

Kairi pulled hers from her belt pack, and Hudrow punched in a quick entry, handing it back.

"Those codes will take out the security system around the_ Ebon Hawk_! I used to be her pilot. Use those codes to steal it. Then you can do what you like with it."

Kairi nodded. "Thank you. Now, go! Get out of here as fast as you can!"

Hudrow nodded and ran out the door, vanishing into the darkened corridors.

"We've got what we came for. Let's get out of here," Canderous said.

CRASH! The halls seemed to tilt and the explosion sounds were getting more frequent. More than once, they had to climb over rubble to get to the next door, but the hangar door opened smoothly and Kairi put in the codes.

At the door on the other end of the hangar, someone else was making a break for the _Hawk_ - Davik Kang and Calo Nord.

"Damn those Sith. They're bombing the entire planet. I knew they'd turn on us..."

Upon noticing them, Davik sneered at them. "Well what do we have here? Thieves in the hangar. Let me guess, you're here to steal my ship for your get away and leave me while the Sith bomb this place to dust?"

Canderous shrugged, and did Kairi detect satisfaction? "That's about right."

"Your plan, wasn't it, Canderous? Should have figured you'd do this."

"You should have known better than to cheat me, Davik. Consider this collecting my back pay."

"I'll take care of them, Davik." Calo's voice still didn't break monotone.

"Make it quick, Calo. The Sith mean business. If we don't get on the ships and get out of here, their bombs will kill us all."

"This should do it." Calo Nord brandished a thermal detonator, but before he could activate it, the Sith got a lucky shot, caving in a portion of the ceiling and trapping the smaller man under a pile of permacrete. The detonator was knocked from his hand, sailing into the air. Davik pulled his gun and shot Canderous narrowly dodged the blast and brought up his cannon to return fire.

What Davik failed to notice was that Calo's detonator rolled from the wreckage to land right behind him. An ear-splitting explosion rocked the hanger. Canderous barely kept his feet. Kairi dropped to the ground. If there was anything left of Davik Kang after that, it wasn't bigger than a bottle cap.

The explosions were getting closer and closer together. Through the open hanger, they saw fire raining from the sky, the tops of buildings blowing apart and debris flying everywhere. A chorus of screams and panic reached their ears.

Canderous started preparing the_ Hawk _for takeoff.

"I'll power up the ship. You take the speeder and get the rest of the crew." When Kairi was about to ask if he'd wait, Canderous answered for her. "I swear on my honor - warrior to warrior - that I will not leave unless there is no other choice."

Kairi nodded and ran back down the ramp, powering on the speeder and driving like she was in the swoop finals.

****

Aboard the _Leviathan_, Saul Karath reported to Darth Malak. He was watching the assault glumly, staring past Malak and onto the green-blue surface and the vast gray of the landmass - now being turned to ruins.

"Taris is defenseless before our assault Lord Malak. They offer no resistance. The City is in ruins."

"Resume bombardment, Admiral Karath," Malak responded, sweeping his hand angrily. "Wipe this pathetic planet from the face of the galaxy!"

****

"He swore on his warrior honor," Kairi said. Her face was twisted as if in pain. "And I believe him."

"We're as good as dead, then," Carth said.

The bolts of red and green cannon fire rained down on the city like the wrath of a mad god. Screams and shouts pierced the air with the sound of falling rubble and the sudden collapse of buildings. Orange and red flames swept the city like a flood - consuming and charring anything it its wake and making the air thick and hazy.

Mission was shell-shocked, eyes wide...seeing it and unable to respond. Her mouth was half-open as though she wanted to make a sound - scream, cry...anything. Zaalbar pried her away from the window and forced her to bury her face in his chest, arms wrapped protectively around his friend as if trying to protect her from the hell exploding around her.

Kairi pulled into the hanger, not even bothering to cut the engine. Sure enough, the _Hawk_ was there. She herded them up the ramp - Zaalbar carrying Mission, Carth leading Bastila. T3 rolling up the ramp after them, and Kairi in the rear. She slammed the ramp control shut after all were aboard.

"Canderous - GO!"

The ship lurched beneath her feet.

Carth and Bastila ran up to the cockpit. Canderous relinquished the pilot seat to Carth. "Kairi tells me you're a pilot - get in and fly!"

Carth wasn't in a position to argue, taking the controls as Bastila jumped in the co-pilot chair. "And where are you headed?"

"The guns. We're going to have to shoot our way out of this one."

Kairi signaled the bridge. "I'm in turret one. Who's got two?"

"Our new warrior friend," Carth said. "Hold on, everyone!"

The launch codes cleared, the engines fired, and the _Ebon Hawk_ broke atmosphere, speeding right between two Sith battleships.

"We've got fighters incoming. Hold them off while I get the jump coordinates in!"

There were a dozen of them. Sith fighters were of an odd design - their silvery bodies resembling more a dart than a ship. They dove and shot, but their speed was only overcompensation for their frailty.

Over the headset, Kairi could hear Canderous laughing. This was like a gigantic game for him - never mind the life and death stakes!

Swinging the cannon in a high arc, she fired and a snub fighter went up in a satisfying ball of white. Another snub dove and veered. Kairi cursed as she missed it and its shot hit one of the generators. Grimly determined, she swung the canon until she got it in the crosshairs.

Nailed it!

As another prepared to make its dive, she clipped its wing and the tiny craft spiraled, helplessly crippled. The fourth made two passes, blasting one of the shield generators before it could be destroyed.

The sixth made a suicide run for the ship, only for Kairi to land a direct hit before it came close.

That was when the blackness around them streaked and blurred. The _Ebon Hawk_ was in hyperspace. They had escaped.

As soon as they were safe, Kairi shakily climbed down from the turrets, stumbling into a cramped little room that was likely the ship's medical bay. She barely made it to the fresher before her stomach reacted violently. Heaving until she was spent, she flushed the contents, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her skin was ashen and her eyes glassy.

Crawling into the main room, she had only enough strength to hoist herself onto the treatment cot before blacking out.

_What's happening to me?_


	7. The Start of Shadows

**The Start of Shadows**

No satisfaction. Funny how that worked - he thought that blasting that annoying planet to rubble would at least quench his thirst for blood, would cool the anger in him for a little while.

_Ah, but it is the same void. Nothing can fill it, and it keeps gnawing at me, an inescapable thirst. But the taste of blood seems only to make it thirst for more._

The _Leviathan_ left for the Sith's hidden world, and Malak's cold palaces. He had the purest power now, intoxicating, demanding. He had armies of followers, and was sweeping across the decrepit Republic as a firestorm would blast across dry timber. So, why was he never pleased?

His focus had narrowed to another target for his displeasure, though he knew on some level it would be like the other targets - once he had it in his grasp, the thrill would fade, leaving him bereft again. Did it matter? Not anymore.

Dozens of small ships had decided to risk fleeing the destruction of Taris - several slipped through his grasp. On one of those, he could sense his quarry. How was it that Jedi woman could be so elusive? He could see her in his mind - haughty beauty and a dancer's grace. As long as she was shackled to the Jedi, she was a danger to the Sith. Bastila was the one whose abilities hindered Malak's conquest of the galaxy. Well...he also had Bastila to thank for his position on the Sith throne. She had been the one that gave him the opening, the opportunity to eliminate Revan.

Did he regret turning on Revan? A Sith Lord did not regret. He was dissatisfied, certainly. It was another part of the thirst, the void. It added to his hate, but gave nothing else. How he had wanted to face Revan in the ancient Sith tradition of single combat, but Bastila's interference gave him a chance he could not turn from. Yet, he did not have to hear the whispers among the ranks of the Dark Jedi, or sense the doubts of his admirals. He still walked in Revan's shadow, and it had almost been a year since he had seized power.

He sat in his quarters, deep in meditation, concentrating on that abyss. He let the rage and hatred fuel him, let it burn until he no longer perceived emptiness.

The door to his quarters slid open. Malak broke his trance to see Admiral Karath waiting patiently. As soon as Malak opened his eyes, Karath saluted sharply. "Lord Malak, the Star Forge is operating at 200% capacity - far beyond our expectations."

Malak rose, turning towards the magnificent windows behind him, the transparent-steel affording a breathtaking view of the stars in hyperspace, one he did not care about. "I am more interested in the young Jedi Bastila and her Battle Meditation. Have you learned how she was able to escape the destruction of Taris?"

"She was aided by Carth Onasi, my lord, a decorated war hero of the Republic and a legendary soldier," Karath said, his voice heavy with disappointment. "During the Mandalorian campaigns, he was honored many times for his bravery."

"You know this man?"

"Yes, my Lord. He served under me when I still followed the Republic. You could say I was his mentor."

"Interesting, how did you acquire this information, Admiral?"

"An eyewitness," Karath explained. The door opened and Calo Nord strode in. The squat bounty hunter's expressionless face and quietly precise movements would be eerie to anyone other than a Dark Lord, who saw in this man the same kind of insatiable bloodlust. Karath gestured to the man and continued. "Calo Nord, a bounty hunter, was there when Bastila and Carth escaped the planet. Apparently, they left him for dead."

Malak appraised the man. "A Jedi and a war hero - it is a wonder you survived the encounter."

"I'm hard to kill, Lord Malak."

"Mr. Nord has agreed to help us capture the young Bastila - for a very hefty fee, of course. I can assure, you, however, that he is worth the price. His reputation as a bounty hunter is well-earned."

Speaking directly to Calo, Malak gave his order. "Her companions are nothing to me, Mr. Nord, but I desire Bastila taken alive if at all possible." His voice darkened. "But, Admiral. You have yet to state your reason for interrupting me in my quarters rather than bringing this to my attention on the bridge."

Karath looked very uncomfortable, almost shaken. That was odd to see in such a long-time soldier. "Lord Malak, forgive me. There is...something else. It is not for ears of the common soldiers."

"I trust you are not wasting my time, Admiral Karath?"

"No, m'lord. I promise that you will be most interested in the descriptions Calo Nord provided of Bastila's other companions...."

TO BE CONTINUED...


End file.
